Oklahoma City and Birmingham receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Oklahoma City
Birmingham
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 48%
vs58 · Top 46%
Growth
66 · Top 23%
vs56 · Top 41%
Climate
62 · Bottom 33%
vs74 · Top 25%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 36%
vs50 · Bottom 40%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 33%
vs92 · Top 46%
Access
99 · Top 7%
vs97 · Top 20%
Economic stability
65 · Top 42%
vs51 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Oklahoma City | Birmingham | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,463,267 | 1,184,613 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,094 | $71,498 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,078 | $40,359 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 265/sq mi | 224/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $230,000 | $240,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,124 | $1,172 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.6% | 70.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.1% | 33.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.9% | 13.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7,710 | 4,727 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.3 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -0.2% | 32.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 27°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.4" | 56.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.0 min | 29.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.0 | 38.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Oklahoma City
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail, tornado.
Birmingham
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Oklahoma City
70
Your Score
67
Area Score
Birmingham
68
Your Score
67
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Oklahoma City, OK Metro Area · Birmingham, AL Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology