Department of Numbers

Tulsa Oklahoma Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Tulsa, OK (the Tulsa metro area) was $861 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Tulsa was $854 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 Tulsa median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

Data is also available below for Tulsa rental vacancy rates, Tulsa rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Tulsa.

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Tulsa Oklahoma (2019 dollars)2

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US Median Gross Rent $1,097 +1.86% +6.82%
Oklahoma Median Gross Rent $814 -1.09% +4.49%
Tulsa, OK Median Gross Rent $861 +0.82% +3.73%

Tulsa, OK Real Gross Rent Trends

At $861, real median gross rent in Tulsa was at its highest level in 2019 since the series began in 2005. Average gross rent for Tulsa peaked in real terms in 2018 at $859 and is now $5 (0.58%) lower.

Real Gross Rent in Tulsa: Tulsa OK Median, Tulsa OK Average, Oklahoma Median, US Median

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Tulsa

Date US
Median
Oklahoma
Median
Tulsa, OK
Median
Tulsa, OK
Average
2019 $1,097 $814 $861 $854
2018 $1,077 $823 $854 $859
2017 $1,043 $804 $849 $839
2016 $1,027 $779 $830 $818
2015 $1,017 $805 $839 $816
2014 $986 $778 $818 $815
2013 $953 $742 $779 $783
2012 $940 $730 $771 $765
2011 $941 $729 $756 $748
2010 $955 $736 $769 $771
2009 $960 $725 $782 $774

more history ...

Tulsa Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate is the fraction of homes for rent that are not occupied.3 In 2019 the rental vacancy rate for Tulsa Oklahoma was 8.00% according to Census ACS data.

Rental Vacancy Rate in Tulsa Oklahoma

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 5.97% -0.18% +0.08%
Oklahoma 8.00% -0.47% -0.08%
Tulsa, OK 8.00% -0.85% +0.76%

Trends in Tulsa, OK Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate in Tulsa peaked in 2005 at 10.68%. Since then it has fallen by 2.68% to 8.00%. Data records for this series originated in 2005. From a 2015 post peak low of 6.00%, the rental vacancy rate has increased by 2.00%.

Rental Vacancy Rate: Tulsa OK, Oklahoma, US

Rental vacancy rate in Oklahoma

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Tulsa

Date US Oklahoma Tulsa, OK
2019 5.97% 8.00% 8.00%
2018 6.15% 8.47% 8.85%
2017 6.18% 8.57% 8.67%
2016 5.89% 8.08% 7.24%
2015 5.85% 7.76% 6.00%
2014 6.32% 8.12% 8.42%
2013 6.49% 8.19% 7.83%
2012 6.77% 8.16% 8.37%
2011 7.40% 8.52% 8.68%
2010 8.17% 8.52% 9.22%
2009 8.43% 8.41% 8.02%

more history ...

Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Tulsa, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Tulsa, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 17.86% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Tulsa Oklahoma Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 20.03% -0.47% -0.40%
Oklahoma 17.94% -0.73% -0.22%
Tulsa, OK 17.86% -0.24% -0.58%

Trends in Tulsa, OK Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Tulsa household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2017 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 18.89%. Since then it has fallen by 1.04% to 17.86%.

Fraction of Income towards Rent: Tulsa OK, Oklahoma, US

Percent of median household income going towards median monthly gross rent in Tulsa Oklahoma

Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Tulsa Oklahoma

Date US Oklahoma Tulsa, OK
2019 20.03% 17.94% 17.86%
2018 20.50% 18.67% 18.10%
2017 20.13% 18.70% 18.89%
2016 20.43% 18.16% 18.43%
2015 20.63% 18.75% 18.48%
2014 20.89% 18.61% 18.33%
2013 20.78% 18.52% 18.37%
2012 20.65% 18.58% 18.14%
2011 20.70% 18.74% 18.22%
2010 20.50% 18.80% 18.54%
2009 20.12% 18.32% 17.74%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Tulsa Oklahoma

You can calculate the renter fraction in Tulsa in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in Tulsa as a fraction of total Tulsa households. In 2019 35.22% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Tulsa Fraction of Renters by Household Units

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 35.89% -0.16% -0.99%
Oklahoma 34.46% -0.10% -0.64%
Tulsa, OK 35.22% +0.19% -0.52%

Trends in the Tulsa, OK Renter Fraction

The Tulsa household renter fraction peaked in in 2015 at 36.23% and is now 1.01% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.

Fraction of Renting Households: Tulsa OK, Oklahoma, US

Fraction of renters in Tulsa

History of Tulsa Renter Fraction

Date US Oklahoma Tulsa, OK
2019 35.89% 34.46% 35.22%
2018 36.05% 34.56% 35.03%
2017 36.13% 34.54% 35.12%
2016 36.88% 35.10% 35.74%
2015 36.97% 34.66% 36.23%
2014 36.90% 34.86% 34.69%
2013 36.50% 34.46% 34.96%
2012 36.09% 33.62% 34.13%
2011 35.42% 32.97% 32.99%
2010 34.65% 32.21% 32.86%
2009 34.13% 32.81% 32.69%

more history ...

1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability.

2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series.

3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied.