Tulsa named one of 2025’s best places to live, according to Livability

Tulsa landed a spot on Livability.com’s 2025 list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live, recognized for its low cost of living, affordable housing and strong community amenities.

The annual list, now in its 12th year, celebrates small to mid-sized cities across the U.S. that prioritize factors like affordability, economic opportunity and overall quality of life. This year’s rankings emphasize cities that offer residents a chance to thrive amid shifting economic conditions.

What sets Tulsa apart?

Livability editors highlighted Tulsa’s performance in housing affordability, access to amenities and cost of living. The city earned praise for being a place “where people can thrive,” thanks to a balance of cultural offerings and financial accessibility.

According to Amanda Ellis, Livability.com’s editor-in-chief, “As Americans face shifting economic conditions in a year wrought with inflation, evolving work dynamics and a growing desire for a better quality of life, our ‘Top 100 Best Places to Live’ list celebrates the cities where Americans are creating dream careers, building families, launching businesses and leading meaningful lives.”

How the rankings are determined

Livability partnered with Applied Geographic Solutions to analyze data from more than 2,000 U.S. cities with populations between 75,000 and 500,000. Cities were evaluated across eight categories: economy, housing and cost of living, amenities, transportation, environment, safety, education and health.

Tulsa’s ranking reflects strong performance in affordability metrics, including median home values and discretionary income. Cities with home values above $500,000 were not included in the final list.

Edmond and Norman also recognized

Tulsa wasn’t the only Oklahoma city to make the list. Edmond and Norman also earned spots on the 2025 ranking, reinforcing the state’s growing reputation for livable, affordable communities.

A customizable approach for readers

One unique feature of Livability’s methodology is its customizable ranking system. Readers can personalize the list based on what matters most to them—whether that’s home prices, job opportunities or outdoor amenities.

"In the past, we prioritized categories we felt were most important to our readers," Ellis said. "But in recent years, we wanted to give readers even more control as priorities are shifting for many American families. By equally weighting all criteria, we’re allowing each individual to filter and rank the categories that matter most to them, creating a personalized Top 100 ranking of the best places to live for themselves.”

Explore the full list

You can view the full list and explore how each city ranks across categories by visiting Livability.com.