2024 Accolades

Accolades are sorted by most recent.

OKC recognized as 19th most up-and-coming tech market in North America
October, 2024 - CBRE
Oklahoma City is proud to be recognized as one of North America's top 50 up-and-coming tech talent markets, ranking 19th in CBRE's latest report. With a robust tech workforce of 22,590 employees—the 3rd highest among emerging markets—our city is closing in on leaders like Omaha and Huntsville. Oklahoma City’s tech wages have surged by 17% over the past five years, and we continue to nurture innovation by producing over 1,000 tech graduates annually, ranking 9th for tech talent production.

Oklahoma City Skyline ranked one of the 100 most breathtaking views in America
August, 2024 - Mixbook
Oklahoma City continues to capture the hearts of both residents and visitors with its striking skyline, recently recognized among the 100 most breathtaking views in America by Mixbook. The view from Myriad Botanical Gardens showcases the city's impressive architecture, including the iconic Devon Tower, beautifully reflected in the garden's serene lake. This accolade highlights Oklahoma City's blend of urban sophistication and natural beauty, solidifying its place as a must-visit destination for photography enthusiasts.

OCCC ranks as one of the best film schools in the U.S./Canada
August, 2024 - MovieMaker
Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) has earned a prestigious spot among the top 30 Best film schools in the U.S. and Canada for 2024. The OCCC Gray Frederickson Department of Digital Cinema is celebrated for its hands-on training with industry-standard equipment, affordability, and the opportunity for students to work on significant film projects. Founded by the late Oscar-winning producer Gray Frederickson, the program continues to build on his legacy by providing practical, comprehensive filmmaking education.

Oklahoma has the lowest cost of living in country
July, 2024 - GOBanking Rates
Oklahoma has been recognized for having the lowest overall cost of living among the 50 states, according to a new report from GOBankingRate. The total annual expenditures for the average family in Oklahoma amount to $62,900, which is 14.8% lower than the national average. Housing costs in Oklahoma are nearly one-third (31.5%) less than the national average, drawing homebuyers from other states, particularly those who can work remotely.

OKC ranked one of the friendliest
July, 2024 - World Population Review
World Population Review utilized a Big 7 Travel survey of 2.5 million social media followers and tipping rate data compiled by Zippia to determine that Oklahoma ranks the 9th Friendliest State in the United States.

OKC adding more houses than most of the country
July, 2024 - StorageCafe
A recent report by StorageCafe ranks Oklahoma City as the 10th fastest-growing housing market among large U.S. cities. Over the past decade, the city's housing stock grew by 16%, reaching over 288,800 homes, while its population increased by 15%, now standing at 702,767.

Oklahoma Ranks No. 9 for job creation across the country
May, 2024 - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
New statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked Oklahoma No. 9 in the nation for job creation. Oklahoma made the biggest jump in the Stateline analysis of job creation rankings, going from #31 to #9. Economists said Oklahoma is starting to see the payoff of decades of investments Oklahoma has made in itself. The ranking was largely driven by Oklahoma City, which is helping not only keep, but also attract, people to the state.

OKC restaurant makes "50 Most Beautiful Restaurants in America" list
May, 2024 - People Magazine/OpenTable
The Great Hall at the First National Center in Oklahoma City has been named one of America’s 50 Most Beautiful Restaurants by People Magazine and OpenTable. “This palatial lobby inside the landmark First National Center building in Oklahoma City reflects its opulent Arts Deco origins.”

Best places to live? OKC ranks high
May, 2024 - U.S News & World Report's
Oklahoma City ranked No. 16 among 150 cities in the U.S. News & World Report’s list of the Best Places to Live in 2024-2025. Oklahoma City nearly made the top 10% of U.S. cities that offer the best combination of jobs, desirability, cost of living, and quality of life, as noted in the report.

Cattlemen's inducted into Steak Hall of Fame
May, 2024 - Steak Hall of Fame
Cattlemen’s Steakhouse was recently inducted into the Steak House Hall of Fame. Cattlemen's is one of seven locations added to the National Steak House Hall of Fame and Oklahoma's only steakhouse to make the list.

OKC has the most affordable apartment rent in the U.S.
May, 2024 - Kiplinger
Kiplinger recently analyzed data from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index. In the analysis, Kiplinger ranked Oklahoma City No. 1 for the most affordable apartment rent among large metros nationwide. The typical apartment in Oklahoma City goes for $839 a month, or 46% less than the national average. OKC received high remarks for the city’s low overall housing costs, which run 33.5% below the national level.

Oklahoma ranks No. 5 for real GDP growth in 2023
May, 2024 - Visual Capitalist
Visual Capitalist ranked the top 10 states by real GDP growth. Oklahoma ranked No. 5 in 2023 with +5.3% for real GDP Growth Year-Over-Year. The United States overall was +2.5%.

OKC development makes Urban Land Institute's list for Top 10 Best Micro-Housing Units
May, 2024 - The Urban Land Institute
ULI developed a list of the top ten micro-housing units around the world. ULI noted that these units deliver compact residential spaces that offer more affordable city living options, foster community, and minimize environmental impacts. The Pivot Tiny Homes in Oklahoma City ranked No. 7 on the list.

Cafe Kacao is one of the top brunch spots in the U.S.
May, 2024 - Yelp
Each year, Yelp creates a list of the best brunch spots in the United States. Café Kacao in Oklahoma City ranked No. 4 on the list for 2024. Yelp identified businesses in the breakfast & brunch category with a large concentration of reviews mentioning “brunch”, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning the keyword in the past three years.

Family-owned businesses have a home in OKC
May, 2024 - OnDeck
In the most recent analysis, OnDeck ranked Oklahoma City in the top 5 for the metros with the highest percentage of family-owned business in the United States. Oklahoma City ranked #3 with 33.4%.

OKC ranks No. 2 for small business
May, 2024 - Forbes Advisor
The Oklahoma City metro was ranked the second-best place for small businesses nationwide by Forbes Advisor in its 2024 report on the most and least risky places for small businesses in America. The report analyzed metrics focused on financial risk, safety risk, and workforce and customer risk for the 50 largest metro areas with available data. OKC ranked among the top three best places for small businesses due to its above-average gross domestic product growth rates and positive population growth.

Oklahoma City ranks No. 34 for most diverse city in the U.S.
May, 2024 - WalletHub
To identify the most diverse cities in the United States, WalletHub compared 501 of the largest cities across 13 metrics in five major diversity categories. Of those 501 cities, Oklahoma City ranked No. 34 for the most diverse city in the U.S.

Oklahoma Ranks No. 16 for entrepreneurs
May, 2024 - Simplify LLC
Through a recent study, Simplify LLC magazine has determined that Oklahoma is the 16th best state in the country for starting a new business. Simplify LLC used the most recent data for six metrics to determine the best and worst states to start a business. These metrics included: new business growth rate, job creation rate, consumer spending growth, maximum corporate tax rate, regional inflation, and educated worker mobility.

OKC Ranks in No. 6 for Most Competitive Rental Market
May, 2024 - RentCafe
In the most recent analysis, RentCafe ranked Oklahoma City in the top 20 for most competitive rental markets at the start of 2024. The Oklahoma City metro ranked No. 6 with a competitive score of 82.8.

Oklahoma is 1 of 14 states where you can afford a home earning under $75,000
April, 2024 - Bankrate
There are only 14 U.S. states where residents who earn less than $75,000 can afford a median-priced home, a new Bankrate analysis reveals. Oklahoma ranked #7 at $65,443 for most affordable home value, based on the annual income needed to cover homeownership costs without spending more than 28% on housing.

Affordable rents are the norm in Oklahoma
April, 2024 - Newsweek
In the most recent analysis, Newsweek mapped all 50 states to determine which states had the highest and lowest median rent, utilizing data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The median gross rent in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2022 data, was $1,300. Oklahoma ranked #10 for the state with the lowest rent with a median gross rent of $937.

OKC has one of the hottest job markets
April, 2024 - Wall Street Journal
In the most recent analysis from The Wall Street Journal, Oklahoma City ranked No. 5 for hottest job market in 2023. The Wall Street Journal, working with Moody’s Analytics, assessed about 380 metro areas. The rankings determined the strongest labor markets based on five factors: the unemployment rate, the labor-force participation rate, changes to employment levels, the size of the labor force, and wages.

Oklahoma City chef announced as James Beard Award Semifinalist for second consecutive year
April, 2024 - James Beard
An Oklahoma City chef is on the list of semifinalists for the James Beard Award for the second year in a row. Chef Jeff Chanchaleune, the owner of Ma Der Lao Kitchen in the Plaza District, has been announced as a semifinalist for the Best Chef Southwest award.

OKC Ranks No. 3 for best city to move to in 2024
April, 2024 - Forbes Home
In the most recent analysis, Forbes Home ranked Oklahoma City No. 3 for best city to move to in 2024. Forbes Home analyzed cities based on housing costs, cost of living, crime rates, air quality, quality of education, median income, employment rates, weather, entertainment establishments, average commute time, and net migration to the city to determine which are the best cities to move to in 2024. Oklahoma City received a score of 80.25 out of 100 and received high remarks for our low unemployment rate, low cost of living, and abundance of outdoor activities.

Oklahoma ranks as a top 10 state for lowest taxes
April, 2024 - WalletHub
A new report from WalletHub breaks down the average overall state tax burden in each of the 50 states, showing where residents can expect to spend the smallest share of their income on taxes. Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 for lowest state tax burden in the United States.

OKC Ranks No. 14 for best cities to buy a house in America
April, 2024 - Niche
In the most recent analysis, Niche ranked Oklahoma City No. 14 for the best city to buy a house in the United States. To find the best cities to buy a home, Niche analyze cities across the U.S. based on home values, property taxes, home ownership rates, housing costs, and real estate trends.

Norman ranks in the top 25% for most investable cities in America
March, 2024 - The Stock Dock
Online investments insight company The Stock Dork ran a survey of 3,000 investors to curate a City Confidence Index. Respondents were asked which cities they would most likely invest in. Norman ranked in the top 25% for the most investable cities in the United States.

Edmond named one of South's best cities on the rise
March, 2024 - Southern Living
The editors of Southern Living compiled a list of cities based on research, reporting, and their own experiences, then readers selected their top picks in the annual South’s Best Awards survey. Edmond ranked No. 24 on the list.

Oklahoma ranks No. 9 for lowest average monthly rent
March, 2024 - Doxo
Doxo recently released its annual Household Bill Pay report, which breaks down how much the average U.S. household spends on essentials, including auto loans, utilities, health insurance, mortgages, and rent. In the report, Oklahoma ranked No. 9 for the list of states with the lowest average monthly rent.

Moore ranks No. 8 for best market for first-time homebuyers in 2024
March, 2024 - Realtor.com
Realtor.com recently released their 2024 Housing Forecast to determine the best markets for first-time homebuyers in 2024 and Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City, ranked no. 8 on the list as one of the top housing markets in the country first-time homebuyers.

Oklahoma City ranks No. 2 for purchasing power
February, 2024 - SmartAsset
Personal finance website SmartAsset reviewed how federal, state, and local taxes impact a $100,000 salary in 72 of the U.S.'s largest cities, and took into account the local cost of living in those cities to find what that salary would be worth across the country. Oklahoma City ranked No. 2 for purchasing power of $100,000 after adjusting for taxes and cost of living. The study found that $100,000 has the purchasing power of $87,585 in Oklahoma City.

OKC restaurant makes USA Today's list for 2024 best restaurants of the year
February, 2024 - USA Today
Ma Der Lao Kitchen, located in the Plaza District in Oklahoma City, made USA Today’s list of best restaurants in the country.

Oklahoma City ranks No. 1 for lowest Cost of living among large cities in 2023
January, 2024 - C2ER
The latest C2ER report ranks Oklahoma City No. 1 for the lowest cost of living among all reporting large cities over 500,000 population. The C2ER Annual Cost of Living Index for Oklahoma City in 2023 was 85.1 (or 14.9 points below the national average).

OKC Mayor David Holt makes ArtDesk 100: 2024 Discovery List
January, 2024 - ArtDesk
Each year, ArtDesk creates a list of their top 100 creators, thinkers, and voices who “give the best of themselves and evangelize for a better world in a way that transcends their own success.” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt was among one of the honorees for the ArtDesk 100: 2024 Discovery List. Holt was among many well-known artists such as Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and Elton John.

Oklahoma is the fifth-youngest state in the U.S.
January, 2024 - Visual Capitalist
In the most recent analysis utilizing data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Visual Capitalist ranked Oklahoma No. 5 for the state with the youngest median age in the United States. The report noted that Oklahoma has a median age of 37.

Oklahoma ranks No. 9 for manufacturing
January, 2024 - Site Selection Group
Earlier in 2023, Site Selection Group ranked Oklahoma as the No. 9 best state for manufacturing. The criteria included labor volume and demand, targeted skill sets, operating costs, organized labor and accessibility.