Tulsa ranks 49th for financial responsibility in LendingTree report

A new report from LendingTree ranks Tulsa as the 49th most financially responsible metropolitan area in the country, placing the city near the midpoint of the 100 largest U.S. metros studied.

The ranking is based on several indicators of personal financial health, including how residents manage debt, credit, and housing costs.

How the Rankings Were Calculated

LendingTree analysts scored metro areas using five key financial metrics:

1. Percentage of households spending 35% or more of their income on housing
2. Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2023 American Community Survey (five-year estimates)
3. Household debt-to-income (DTI) ratio
4. Source: Federal Reserve data from the fourth quarter of 2023
5. Number of credit inquiries in the past two years
6. Based on a sample of approximately 260,000 anonymized LendingTree users from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2025
7. Percentage of cardholders with at least one maxed-out credit card
8. Same LendingTree user sample, first quarter 2025
9. Percentage of cardholders with a low credit utilization rate (under 30%)
10. Same LendingTree user sample, first quarter 2025

How Tulsa Compares

Tulsa’s 49th-place finish reflects a balance of strengths and challenges in local financial behavior. While not at the top, the ranking indicates Tulsa residents are faring better than those in many larger or more debt-burdened areas.

At the top of the list:

1. Des Moines, Iowa
2. San Jose, California

At the bottom:

1. McAllen, Texas
2. Riverside, California

The full report offers insights into how cities stack up—and what trends may be driving financial responsibility across the country. It's available to read on LendingTree's website.