Is Tulsa cheaper than Winston-Salem?

Tulsa is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 3% below Winston-Salem's (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Which has higher household income, Tulsa or Winston-Salem?

Tulsa has the higher median household income — $69,658 versus $65,903 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 6% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Tulsa or Winston-Salem?

A paycheck stretches further in Tulsa. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $78,080 there versus $71,600 in Winston-Salem.

Which has cheaper rent, Tulsa or Winston-Salem?

Rents are close — $1,115/mo in the Tulsa metro versus $1,102/mo in Winston-Salem (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Tulsa vs Winston-Salem

Metro-area medians — Tulsa, OK Metro Area vs Winston-Salem, NC Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Tulsa comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Tulsa is both cheaper to live in (about 3% less) and higher-earning (about 6% more) than Winston-Salem. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Tulsa.

Their widest everyday difference: Winston-Salem has the tighter job market — 3.4% unemployment versus 4.6%.

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.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Tulsa, OK

$58,241

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$65,282

real value after local prices

Winston-Salem, NC

$58,668

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$63,740

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Tulsa leaves you about $1,543/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

Winston-Salem

Livability (CityLedger)

48/100

46/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

89.2

92.0

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$78,080

$71,600

Median household income

$69,658

$65,903

Median rent

$1,115/mo

$1,102/mo

Median home value

$247,500

$270,700

Unemployment

4.6%

3.4%

Bachelor's degree or higher

31.9%

33.4%

Average commute

22.6 min

23.8 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

61°F

60°F

Choose Tulsa for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Median home value
+ Average commute

Full Tulsa profile →

Choose Winston-Salem for

+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher

Full Winston-Salem profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Tulsa and Winston-Salem on cost, income, size, and education.

Tulsa vs Little Rock→Tulsa vs Oklahoma City→Tulsa vs Dayton→Winston-Salem vs Greensboro→Winston-Salem vs Akron→Winston-Salem vs Dayton→

Tulsa vs Winston-Salem — frequently asked

Is Tulsa cheaper than Winston-Salem?: Tulsa is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 3% below Winston-Salem's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Tulsa or Winston-Salem?: Tulsa has the higher median household income — $69,658 versus $65,903 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 6% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Tulsa or Winston-Salem?: A paycheck stretches further in Tulsa. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $78,080 there versus $71,600 in Winston-Salem.
Which has cheaper rent, Tulsa or Winston-Salem?: Rents are close — $1,115/mo in the Tulsa metro versus $1,102/mo in Winston-Salem (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).