What it's like to live in Sand Springs
Sand Springs is a small city in Oklahoma with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Sand Springs deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, hot summers, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Sand Springs compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Sand Springs
Based on Sand Springs's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,004
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,080 a year
- 35% of Sand Springs renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$39,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,770
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 29% below US
$1,002/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,002 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $197,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $197,700 · 35% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Tulsa County is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Tulsa County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 46% below US
176 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1899/100k · Sand Springs Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 21% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.5 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 24% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Oklahoma City National Memorial (90 miles away).
Bottom line
Sand Springs's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and hot summers. A year of median rent ($1,002/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Sand Springs
All Oklahoma guides →Moving to Sapulpa →
9 mi away · pop. 22,570
Rent $1,057/mo · Income $63,817
Compare with Sand Springs →Moving to Tulsa →
13 mi away · pop. 413,794
Rent $1,052/mo · Income $59,838
Compare with Sand Springs →Moving to Jenks →
13 mi away · pop. 27,102
Rent $1,602/mo · Income $111,004
Compare with Sand Springs →Moving to Glenpool →
15 mi away · pop. 14,151
Rent $1,370/mo · Income $79,525
Compare with Sand Springs →Not sure Sand Springs is the one?
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