2023 Accolades

Accolades are sorted by most recent.

OKC ranks No. 2 among top ZIP codes where renters get the most space for their money
December, 2023 - RentCafe
RentCafe looked at 1,665 ZIP codes in the 50-largest U.S. cities to see how much space renters can get for $1,700 per month. On average, $1,700 pays for an apartment of about 944 square feet. In the 73127 zip code, renters can find an apartment of the same price for 1,993 sq ft.

OKC ranks No. 3 for most affordable city to own a home
November, 2023 - Visual Capitalist
Visual Capitalist mapped out the annual salary needed to afford a 30-year mortgage (at 6.37%) to buy a home in America’s 50 most populous metropolitan areas. An average person would only need to make $1,500 in Oklahoma City per month to be able to afford a mortgage in OKC’s market, compared to the national average at $2,300.

Oklahoma Ranks No. 10 in the nation for net migration
November, 2023 - Storage Cafe
In the most recent analysis, Storage Café ranked Oklahoma in the top 10 of states with the highest net migration as a share of population, with almost 10 newcomers for every 1,000 residents.

Oklahoma City ranks No. 2 for women entrepreneurship
November, 2023 - Gusto
From 2019 to 2023, the percentage of women business owners in Oklahoma City grew from 24% to 30%.

OKC ranks in the top 5 for downtown foot traffic post-pandemic recovery
November, 2023 - University of Toronto
In the University of Toronto’s most recent analysis, OKC ranked no. 5 at 93% for its Downtown Recovery Rankings. The recovery metrics in the analysis were computed by counting the number of unique visitors in a city's downtown area in the specified time period (standardized by region), and then dividing it by the standardized number of unique visitors during the equivalent time period in 2019.

OKC brewery wins major award in “Super Bowl” of beer festivals for second consecutive year
October, 2023 - Great American Beer Festival
A local brewery in Oklahoma City recently won a major award for the second consecutive year at the “Super Bowl” of all beer festivals in Denver. The Big Friendly is the two-time winner of brewery and brewer of the year at the Great American Beer Festival awards, bringing home the victory over thousands of other breweries.

Love's Travel Stops ranks No. 1 for work wellbeing
October, 2023 - Indeed
In a new analysis, Indeed revealed their first-ever list of top 20 companies for work wellbeing. Topping the list at No. 1 was Oklahoma based company Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores.

2023 resident survey shows OKC is setting the national standard as a place to live, work, and retire
October, 2023 - City of Oklahoma City
Satisfaction with Oklahoma City as a place to live, work, raise children, visit, and retire is significantly above the national average according to results from the City’s annual survey administered in July 2023. OKC ranked 33% above the national average as a place to live, 19% above as a place to work, and 12% above as a place to retire. As a place to raise children, Oklahoma City ranked 6% above the national average, and as a place to visit OKC ranked 4% above the national average.

Yukon, OK ranks No. 30 for best suburb for first-time homebuyers
September, 2023 - Today's Homeowner
Analysts with Today’s Homeowner looked at more than 580 suburbs located outside 78 of the largest cities in the U.S., ranking them on affordability and quality-of-life factors. Yukon came in at No. 30 on the list and is Oklahoma City’s top suburb in the rankings.

Oklahoma City ranks No. 11 for best beer city in the U.S.
September, 2023 - Real Estate Witch
Clever conducted an analysis to determine the top 50 beer scenes in the country, and Oklahoma City came in at No. 11 in the most recent rankings. According to the findings, a beer in Oklahoma City costs an average of $3.68, a dollar cheaper than the national average of $4.78. The city’s rapidly growing brewery scene helped bolster its ranking on the list. Oklahoma City breweries average a rating of 4.31 out of 5 on Yelp.

OKC Mayor David Holt has been named by TIME to its 2023 TIME100 Next List
September, 2023 - TIME
In the most recent publication, OKC Mayor David Holt was named to TIME’s list of “100 Next” most influential people in the world. Mayor Holt is the fifth American Mayor to be named TIME100 Next, joining Pete Buttigieg (2019), Francis Suarez (2019), Michelle Wu (2022) and Mattie Parker (2022).

Oklahoma Ranks No. 7 for least expensive household bills
September, 2023 - Doxo
Doxo’s 2023 State by State Bill Pay Market report took a look at the $3.87 trillion U.S. consumer bill pay market, with specific state-level breakdown of the 10 most common household bill payment categories. Oklahoma ranked No. 7 on the list for least expensive state for household bills with an average monthly bill of $1,705 which is 16.7% below the national average.

OKC ranks No. 12 for fastest growing metro
September, 2023 - Lending Tree
LendingTree analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data to determine the largest and smallest share of homeowners and renters — individually and combined — in the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas who moved into their current home in 2019 or later. Within the study, Oklahoma City ranked No. 12 for the fastest growing metro since 2019.

Local restaurant makes Bon Appetit's list for best new restaurants of 2023
September, 2023 - Bon Appetit
Every year, Bon Appetit releases a list of the 24 Best New Restaurants in the country. This year, Sedalia’s Oyster & Seafood of Oklahoma City made the list.

Oklahoma City makes list of "Best Taco Cities" in U.S.
August, 2023 - Real Estate Witch
Real Estate Witch ranked the ‘Best Taco Cities’ across the United States by looking at the number of taco restaurants per 100,000 residents, the number of taco trucks, yelp stars ratings, affordability, and other search data related to tacos. Oklahoma City made the list as the 12th Best Taco City in the country.

OKC ranks in the top 10 for best cities for BBQ
August, 2023 - Real Estate Witch
Real Estate Witch analyzed a variety of metrics from Yelp, Google, U.S. Census data, food truck data from Roaming Hunger, and other sources to determine which cities have the best barbecue in the nation. Oklahoma City ranked No. 8 on the list. Real Estate Witch compared the 50 most-populous U.S. cities across a number of metrics. Each metric was normalized and then graded on a 100-point scale.

Anton's Craft Kitchen ranks No. 6 for Best Mom and Pop Restaurant in the U.S.
August, 2023 - Entrepreneur/Yelp
In their most recently analysis, Entrepreneur and Yelp partnered to find the top 15 mom and pop restaurants in the United States. Anton's Craft Kitchen, located in Oklahoma City, ranked No. 6 on the list. To formulate the list, Yelp ranked independently owned and operated businesses with no more than four locations based on volume and ratings of reviews.

Hungry? OKC has some of the best burgers in the U.S.
August, 2023 - Homebay
Sources for this study include Yelp, Numbeo, Google Trends, the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, and Homebay’s own commissioned study of 1,000 Americans who were asked to identify five cities that they thought had the best burger scenes. Oklahoma City received high rankings for the number of burger restaurants per 100,000 residents. There are 14 burger restaurants per 100,000 residents, which is 56.8% higher than the average city in Homebay’s study.

Katiebug's Sips & Sweets ranks No. 2 for cookies
July, 2023 - USA Today
USA Today asked readers to vote on the 10 best cookie shops across the United States. Katiebug's Sips & Sweets in Oklahoma City ranked No. 2 on USA Today’s 2023 Readers’ Choice List.

Factory Obscura ranks No. 5 for best immersive art
July, 2023 - USA Today
USA Today asked readers to vote on the 10 immersive art experiences across the United States. Factory Obscura in Oklahoma City ranked No. 5 on USA Today’s 2023 Readers’ Choice List.

Oklahoma City Ranks No. 2 for young professionals
July, 2023 - Forbes
To determine the best places for young professionals, Forbes Advisor analyzed data for 99 major U.S. metros spanning four key categories: employment & pay, housing affordability, lifestyle, and cost of living. The OKC metro area ranked as the second-best place for young professionals. Oklahoma City earned high remarks primarily for its affordability and diverse economy.

Coyne & Hirst piece at OKC Convention Center selected as top commissioned art in public space
July, 2023 - CODA Awards
"Beautiful Mystical Exploding Sun Clouds Taste Metallic,” by Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne and world-renowned artist Damien Hirst was recently named a 2023 CODAawards Top 100 winner. The CODAawards Top 100 are the world’s most successful projects integrating commissioned art into interior, architectural, or public spaces. Honorees include commissioned public art from across the globe. The expansive artwork is an 18’ x 18’ spin painting on display in the mezzanine of the Oklahoma City Convention Center. This project serves as a welcoming attraction for visitors and a placemaking initiative.

You'll find low commute times and good drives in OKC
July, 2023 - QuoteWizard
Each year, the analysts at QuoteWizard set out to see which cities have the best and worst drivers in America. Oklahoma City ranked No. 7 on the list for best drivers in the nation. QuoteWizard analyzed over six million car insurance quotes from drivers in the 70 largest cities in the U.S. These cities were then evaluated based on four factors to determine overall driver quality. The driving factors included: speeding tickets, citations, accidents, and DUI’s.

OKC's First American Museum earns national acclaim
July, 2023 - ULI
Ten developments from across North America have been selected as winners of the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2023 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence.

Looking for your first home? OKC is the place
July, 2023 - This Old House
Using Zillow and Census data, the report found that Oklahoma City is the only city that ranks in the top 10 for both livability and affordability. Oklahoma City ranks as the No. 4 best city to purchase a starter home and 10th in affordability, with an average price of $111,837.

Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 for youngest states
July, 2023 - Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee analyzed the most recent U.S. Census Data to determine the median ages of all the states in the U.S. Within the analysis, Oklahoma ranked No. 6 for the youngest state in the country with a median age of 37.1.

Oklahoma City ranks in the top 20 for best places to travel to in the U.S.
June, 2023 - Forbes
Every year, Forbes creates a list of the best places to visit in America. Oklahoma City ranked in the top 20 best places to travel in the United States for 2023. OKC received high remarks for our abundance of museums, boutique hotels, and restaurants.

OKC continues to be one of the best run cities in the U.S.
June, 2023 - WalletHub
In the most recent analysis, WalletHub ranked Oklahoma City No. 11 for best run city in America. WalletHub compared the operating efficiency of 149 of the largest U.S. cities to reveal which among them are managed best.

Oklahoma City named one of the best food cities in the world
June, 2023 - Taste Atlas
Oklahoma City was named one of the best food cities in the world by Taste Atlas. OKC found itself among the list alongside places like Florence, Italy, São Paulo, Brazil, Tokyo, Japan and more. Taste Atlas released its list of 100 best cities to try local food and Oklahoma City came in at #87.

Andrew Black brings James Beard Award Home to Oklahoma City
June, 2023 - James Beard Organization
Chef Andrew Black was awarded the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest. Black, two-time James Beard Foundation Award Semifinalist, was in the category with fellow Oklahoma City-based finalist Chef Jeff Chanchaleune of Ma Der Lao Kitchen, also a two-time semifinalist. The award marks only the second time Oklahoma City has been honored with a prestigious James Beard Foundation award, the first coming just last year in the America's Classics category when Florence's was named a recipient.

OKC ranks No. 8 for affordable housing markets
June, 2023 - Homebay
Homebay conducted a study aiming to identify the cities where it’s most affordable to make the jump from renting to buying a home. OKC ranked No. 8 on the list. Oklahoma City’s 2023 typical monthly rent price is $1,306 and typical home value is $217,508. Compared to the major metro average rent price of $1,863 with a typical home value of $417,936.

Looking for a getaway? OKC ranks No. 2 for affordable family vacations
May, 2023 - Forbes Advisor
To determine the most affordable cities for family vacations, Forbes Advisor analyzed the cost of airfare, hotels, rental cars, and restaurant meals across 53 major U.S. cities. OKC took a prominent position on the list, in part thanks to its lower cost of hotels. According to Forbes Advisor’s analysis, in Oklahoma, the average cost of a three-night trip totals $3,272.

Scissortail Park has the best summer outdoor splash pad in the U.S.
May, 2023 - USA Today’s 2023 Readers’ Choice List
USA Today asked readers to vote on the 10 best outdoor summer splash pads across the United States and Scissorttail Park came in No. 1.

Scissortail Park ranks No. 3 for best summer outdoor concert series
May, 2023 - USA Today’s 2023 Readers’ Choice List
To find the best outdoor concert series to attend this summer, USA Today asked a panel of experts to nominate their favorites, then readers voted for their top picks. Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City ranked No. 3 on USA Today’s 2023 Readers’ Choice List. Scissortail Park earned high marks for being a favorite attraction among locals and visitors alike.

OKC ranks No. 9 for lowest property tax
April, 2023 - Lending Tree
GoBankingRates ranked Oklahoma No. 2 for the state where retirement savings are most cost-effective. To determine how far $1 million will take retirees across the country for someone 65 or older, GOBankingRates analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey and factored in the state’s overall cost-of-living index score for 2021 from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.

Energy executives rank Oklahoma No. 3 place to invest
March, 2023 - Fraser Institute
the most recent report, the Fraser Institute ranked Oklahoma No. 3 for most desirable place to invest in energy. According to the most recent survey, Wyoming is the most attractive jurisdiction for oil and gas investment followed by Texas (2nd) and Oklahoma (3rd).

Oklahoma ranks No. 2 for states where retirement savings are most cost-effective
March, 2023 - GoBankingRates
In the most recent analysis, Savoteur ranked Oklahoma No. 4 for the most affordable state to live in the United States. The study utilized data from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) cost of living index, U.S. Census Bureau, and Zillow’s home value index.

Oklahoma ranks No. 4 for living affordability
March, 2023 - Savoteur
In the most recent analysis, Savoteur ranked Oklahoma No. 4 for the most affordable state to live in the United States. The study utilized data from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) cost of living index, U.S. Census Bureau, and Zillow’s home value index.

OKC receives AAA bond rating from Moody’s and AAA for 15th-straight year
March, 2023 - Moody's & AAA
Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings have each affirmed the City of Oklahoma City’s top-notch bond rating and stable long-term outlook. It’s the 15th year in a row OKC achieved the highest rating.

OKC ranks No. 9 for affordability
February, 2023 - Kiplinger
Kiplinger compiled their rankings of America's 25 most affordable places to live based on the Council for Community and Economic Research’s (C2ER) calculations of living expenses in 265 urban areas with over 50,000 inhabitants. Oklahoma notably received high marks for its housing cost (27% below the national average).

OKC has the lowest rents in the U.S.
February, 2023 - Realtor.com
In their most recent report, Realtor.com ranked Oklahoma City No. 1 as the least expensive metro for rent for January 2023. In order to identify the cities with affordable rent, Realtor.com used rental sources that reliably report data each month within the top 50 largest metropolitan areas.

Oklahoma City ranks No. 1 for lowest cost of living among large cities
February, 2023 - 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 2022 was 84.0 (or 16.0 points below the National Average).

Oklahoma ranks high for road conditions
February, 2023 - Construction Coverage
Kiplinger compiled their rankings of America's 25 most affordable places to live based on the Council for Community and Economic Research’s (C2ER) calculations of living expenses in 265 urban areas with over 50,000 inhabitants. Oklahoma notably received high marks for its housing cost (27% below the national average).

OKC has the most affordable rent in the U.S.
January, 2023 - Realtor.com
In their most recent report, Realtor.com ranked Oklahoma City No. 1 as the least expensive metro for rent for January 2023. In order to identify the cities with the cheapest rent, Realtor.com used rental sources that reliably report data each month within the top 50 largest metropolitan areas.