Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Oklahoma City

You think about retiring in Oklahoma City but want to get additional information about senior life, housing situation, living costs, entertainment, safety, climate and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of retiring in Oklahoma City in the following chapters.

Retire in Oklahoma City – Overview

Reasons to Retire in Oklahoma City

1. Living costs in OKC are pretty low
2. Rents are still affordable for many retirees in Oklahoma City
3. Overall financial pressure for retirees in Oklahoma City is rather low
4. Pensioners find decent places to stay rather quickly
5. Decent public transport near the city center of OKC
6. Pensioners in OKC can get around by bicycle
7. You may not urgently need a car as a retiree in OKC
8. Decent senior centers in OKC
9. Many bars to socialize with like-minded people
10. You can try many delicious foods in OKC
11. Retirees in OKC can experience real seasons
12. Retirees in Oklahoma City can spend lots of time in nature
13. You can stay fit as a pensioner in OKC
14. People in OKC have a decent internet connection
15. Easy to get to OKC
16. OKC is not as hectic as many other major cities in the US
17. You will find good doctors and hospitals in OKC
18. Decent supply of material goods in OKC
19. Pensioners in OKC find most things they need close to their homes
20. OKC has decent air quality
21. OKC will be an attractive place to retire for a long time
22. OKC may still be underrated

Living costs in OKC are pretty low

One advantage of retiring in OKC is that living costs are significantly low than in other major cities of the US and while people retiring in San Francisco and other expensive places have to spend lots of money on drinks, you in Oklahoma City can save lots of money in this regard in the long run and will be able to afford more nice things for the same amount of money.

Rents are still affordable for many retirees in Oklahoma City

Not only living costs are relatively low in OKC, but also rents are still affordable for many pensioners in Oklahoma City.

In turn, most retirees in OKC don’t have to spend as much money on housing as retirees in NYC or other fancier places and will have more money to spend on other important things of daily life.

Overall financial pressure for retirees in Oklahoma City is rather low

Since living and housing costs are pretty low in the OKC region, also overall financial pressure for people who retire in OKC is pretty low and while people retiring in San José or other expensive places may always have to worry about their finances, you will have a much more relaxed time by retiring in OKC.

Pensioners find decent places to stay rather quickly

Since housing shortage is not a big problem in OKC yet, many pensioners also find a decent place to stay rather quickly compared to people in other more popular places who often have to search for many months in this regard.

Decent public transport near the city center of OKC

Another upside to retiring in OKC is that you will also have pretty decent public transport close to the city center and this means that you can get around by bus or other means of public transport in a pretty efficient manner and can do good for our environment and also save lots of money on gas in the long run since you will have to use your car less often.

Pensioners in OKC can get around by bicycle

If you are still fit, you can also get around by bicycle in the OKC region in a pretty efficient manner.

In fact, OKC has become pretty bicycle-friendly over the past decades and this can be great since it allows you to get lots of fresh air while you can save lots of money on transportation in the long run.

You may not urgently need a car as a retiree in OKC

Since you will have decent public transport and good biking infrastructure, you may not even need a car as a retiree in Oklahoma City and this is great news since you may no longer be able to drive a car in a safe manner once you get older anyway and having proper transportation alternatives is a real plus.

Decent senior centers in OKC

You will also find many decent senior centers and other places where you can socialize with other pensioners in the OKC region and this can be great since you can share important and valuable insights and can also play games and hang out with each other so you will most likely never feel lonely.

Many bars to socialize with like-minded people

You will also find many great bars where you can hang out with great people and can discuss what’s going on in the world right now and can also get different perspectives on life so you can expand your horizon and will most likely become a more tolerant person in the long run.

You can try many delicious foods in OKC

OKC is also a place where you will find many interesting restaurants where you can try many foods from all over the world and those delicious dishes can make your senior life in OKC much better and you will also get some inspiration for cooking at home in general.

Retirees in OKC can experience real seasons

Since you will have pretty hot summers and relatively cold winters, you can also experience real seasons as a retiree in OKC and this may make your senior life in Oklahoma City much more interesting compared to people retiring in Austin or other warmer places where snow is often rather rare.

Retirees in Oklahoma City can spend lots of time in nature

Since OKC is surrounded by many lakes and forests, retirees in OKC can go hiking, fishing and do many other things in nature and this gives you the opportunity to get lots of fresh air and also to do many free things.

In turn, even if you don’t receive a really good pension, you can do many of those free or cheap things and will never run out of ideas regarding how to spend your leisure.

You can stay fit as a pensioner in OKC

Since you can spend lots of time outdoors, people who retire in Oklahoma City also often stay fit and vital while retirees in other regions where there is not as much to do in nature may get lazy and may be at greater risk of suffering from serious health problems in the long run.

People in OKC have a decent internet connection

Since you will have a pretty good internet connection, you will also be able to get the latest news and can also make video calls or use social media to stay connected to your loved ones and can also report to your family and friends what’s going on in your world on a regular basis.

Easy to get to OKC

Another benefit of retiring in Oklahoma City is that it is also pretty easy to get to this city since you can use a big international airport and your loved ones will have a rather easy time visiting you while this would be much harder if you retired in smaller towns where pubic infrastructure is often much worse.

OKC is not as hectic as many other major cities in the US

Compared to NYC or other big metropolitan areas, OKC is also not as hectic and has many quiet spaces.

In fact, you will find many parks and other locations where you can hang out as a retiree in OKC without getting disturbed by loud noises or other unpleasant things.

You will find good doctors and hospitals in OKC

Since OKC is a big city with pretty good public infrastructure, you will also have many good doctors and hospitals and in case you suffer from serious health issues, chances are that you will find proper medical treatment so you can hopefully recover as quickly as possible.

Decent supply of material goods in OKC

You also don’t have to worry about running out of important material goods as a retiree in OKC since overall supply of material goods is excellent and you will not miss a thing in this regard in this region.

Pensioners in OKC find most things they need close to their homes

Not only will you find everything you need to live a comfortable and convenient life in the OKC region, but you will even find most things for daily life within walking distance to your home and this can be quite convenient for retirees in OKC since old people are often not able to walk long distances anymore and need to have all important things close to their homes.

OKC has decent air quality

Compared to many other major cities, OKC also has pretty decent air quality and this may give you an incentive to spend lots of time outdoors and your risk of suffering from serious pulmonary issues may also be lower than in other more polluted regions.

OKC will be an attractive place to retire for a long time

Since OKC is the biggest city in Oklahoma, it will most likely be an attractive place to live and retire for many decades and you therefore don’t have to worry about public infrastructure becoming worse anytime soon.

OKC may still be underrated

While living and housing costs in OKC are pretty low, the city still has a lot to offer and OKC may therefore still be underrated and may provide you with decent quality of life for a fair price while people retiring in Seattle or other more expensive places may have to spend much more money without having a much higher quality of life.

Disadvantages of Retiring in Oklahoma City

1. Crime is a big problem in OKC
2. Many retirees in OKC no longer feel safe
3. Public transport gets worse in the suburbs
4. Social inequality is about to get worse in OKC
5. Natural disasters may become a problem for pensioners in OKC
6. OKC doesn’t have the highest reputation
7. Cold winters may deter many people from retiring in OKC
8. Oklahoma City is not located at the coast
9. Retirees in OKC often live in rather dodgy districts
10. Your family and friends may worry about your well-being
11. OKC is a landlord-friendly place

Crime is a big problem in OKC

One problem with retiring in OKC is that crime rates are pretty high in OKC and this problem may become even worse due to all sorts of social issues the city has to deal with right now.

Many retirees in OKC no longer feel safe

Due to high crime rates, many retirees in Oklahoma City no longer feel safe in certain parts of the city and may also not be willing to go out during nighttime anymore since they fear getting involved in serious incidents.

Public transport gets worse in the suburbs

Another downside to retiring in OKC is while public transport is pretty decent near the city center, it gets worse in the outskirts of the city and if you can’t afford to live close to the city center, you may just not be as mobile compared to people retiring in Washington D.C. or other places where public transport is usually better.

Social inequality is about to get worse in OKC

You should also know that social inequality is about to get worse in the OKC region.

In fact, many people in this region live below the poverty line and if this trend continues, chances are that crime rates will increase even further and all sorts of social problems may get worse in the long run which would greatly decrease overall quality of life.

Natural disasters may become a problem for pensioners in OKC

You should also be aware of the fact that OKC may get hit by storms, wildfires or other natural disasters sooner or later and in case you are unlucky, you may lose everything you have and may even lose your life.

OKC doesn’t have the highest reputation

Due to high crime rates and many other social problems, OKC doesn’t have a pretty high reputation and your loved ones may therefore not understand your decision of retiring in OKC and you may have to justify quite a lot in this regard.

Cold winters may deter many people from retiring in OKC

Another disadvantage of retiring in Oklahoma City is that winters can also be pretty cold and if you don’t like cold weather at all, you may be better off moving to El Paso or other warmer places instead.

Oklahoma City is not located at the coast

Since OKC is not located at the coast, you will also not be able to go surfing and will also not have the opportunity to relax at the beach and this may greatly lower your overall quality of life and you may also secretly admire people living in Long Beach or other nice places at the coast.

Retirees in OKC often live in rather dodgy districts

If you don’t receive a decent pension, you may also not be able to afford to live in fancy neighborhoods and may have to stay in rather dodgy districts where you may just not feel comfortable and safe.

Your family and friends may worry about your well-being

Due to high crime rates, your loved ones may also have to worry about your well-being quite a lot and you may therefore impose a significant emotional burden on them when telling them about your plans of retiring in OKC.

OKC is a landlord-friendly place

You should also know that Oklahoma City is a pretty landlord-friendly place and you as a tenant will have fewer rights compared to people retiring in San Diego or other regions where tenants are in a better position.

Top 10 Retiring in Oklahoma City Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is OKC A Good Place To Retire?

While retiring in OKC can be great since living and housing costs are pretty low and you can still enjoy pretty decent public infrastructure and good medical treatment, you should still note that Oklahoma City is not the safest place and you may have to deal with all sorts of social problems.

Alternative Cities To Retire

If you don’t want to retire in Oklahoma City, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Denver

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Dallas

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Nashville

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/oklahomacitycityoklahoma

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.