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CityLedger

Tulsa vs Wichita

Metro-area medians — Tulsa, OK Metro Area vs Wichita, KS Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Wichita comes out ahead, winning 8 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Tulsa and Wichita cost about the same to live in, but Wichita households earn about 3% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Wichita.

Their widest everyday difference: the typical commute is shorter in Wichita — about 19.3 min versus 22.6 min.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Tulsa, OK
$58,241
take-home / yr · 22% to tax
$65,282
real value after local prices
Wichita, KS
$57,417
take-home / yr · 23% to tax
$64,553
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Tulsa leaves you about $730/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Tulsa
Wichita
Livability (CityLedger)
48/100
52/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
89.2
88.9
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$78,080
$80,734
Median household income
$69,658
$71,810
Median rent
$1,115/mo
$1,010/mo
Median home value
$247,500
$223,700
Unemployment
4.6%
4.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher
31.9%
32.9%
Average commute
22.6 min
19.3 min
Air quality (median AQI)
51
47
Avg temperature
61°F
57°F

Choose Tulsa for

  • No clear edge
Full Tulsa profile →

Choose Wichita for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Average commute
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Wichita profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Tulsa and Wichita on cost, income, size, and education.

Tulsa vs Little Rock→Tulsa vs Oklahoma City→Tulsa vs Dayton→Wichita vs Toledo→Wichita vs Springfield→Wichita vs Davenport→

Tulsa vs Wichita — frequently asked

Is Tulsa cheaper than Wichita?
They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Tulsa and Wichita metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Tulsa or Wichita?
Wichita has the higher median household income — $71,810 versus $69,658 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 3% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Tulsa or Wichita?
A paycheck stretches further in Wichita. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $80,734 there versus $78,080 in Tulsa.
Which has cheaper rent, Tulsa or Wichita?
Wichita has cheaper rent — a median of $1,010/mo versus $1,115/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).