Tulsa Housing Market Update: September 2026

September in Tulsa: cooler mornings, Friday night lights, and a housing market that is finally giving buyers some breathing room. Here's what the numbers say, what's happening around town, and where the opportunity sits this month.

Tulsa by the numbers (August 2026)

What changed this month

• Inventory hit a nine-month high. Active listings across the Tulsa metro rose for the fourth straight month to 3,355 in August, the most since last November and about 3% more than a year ago.¹ Buyers have more to choose from than at any point this year.
• Closed prices are still climbing. On the closed-sale side, the median Tulsa home sold for $300,000 in July, up 5.3% from a year earlier, and homes went for full asking price on average. Well-priced listings still sold in about 17 days, and 858 homes closed, 7% more than last July.²
• Homes that miss on price are sitting longer. The metro-wide median time on market ticked up to 56 days, from 54 in July.³ The gap between that number and the 17-day figure above is the whole story right now: price it right and it moves, price it hopefully and it waits.
• Rates crept back up. The 30-year fixed averaged 6.71% the week of September 3, up from 6.66% the week before and 6.50% a year ago.⁴ On a $270,000 loan, that year-over-year move is about $37 a month.

Nationally, the picture is similar. Existing-home sales slipped 1.7% in July, the median price rose 2.0% to $434,100, and the median listing took 29 days to go under contract.⁶ Tulsa's $300,000 median is a big part of why people keep moving here.

Around Tulsa

A 506-acre Google campus is going up near Owasso. Google and Beale Infrastructure shared details on a data center campus under construction in unincorporated Tulsa County near Cherokee Industrial Park, just west of Owasso. The plans include 1.5 miles of new water lines, a new on-site substation, and a commitment to train more than 160 apprentices statewide by 2030.⁷ Projects like this are why Owasso and Collinsville keep showing up on the list of places I'm asked about.

Downtown's Performing Arts Center is getting a $135 million overhaul. The Tulsa PAC finalized plans for its biggest renovation and expansion since it opened nearly 50 years ago: $79.7 million in public money from Improve Our Tulsa 3 plus a $55 million privately funded expansion, with construction expected to begin in June 2028.⁸ Downtown amenities like this are a quiet reason close-in neighborhoods hold their value.

Tulsa now has its own planning commission. After more than 70 years, the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission has been dissolved and replaced by a new City Planning Commission, effective September 2, with city planning moving to City Hall. The stated goal is to focus more directly on housing, infill development, and urban growth.⁹ If you own an older lot inside the city, keep an eye on what this means for what you're allowed to build.

Rental watch

A quick read on the rental side of the market, whether you own a rental, are thinking about one, or are weighing renting versus buying.

For context, the national median one-bedroom rent is $1,515 and the two-bedroom median is $1,907, both roughly flat year over year.¹¹ A Tulsa one-bedroom rents for about 39% less than the national median, which is a big part of why out-of-state investors keep showing up here.

The investor angle: rents are up about 3% and closed prices are up about 5% year over year, so Tulsa's rent-to-price math is holding steady rather than improving. Returns always depend on the specific property and how well it's managed, so treat those as market averages, not a promise. With inventory at a nine-month high, though, this is the first fall in a while where an investor can be picky.

Thinking about a first rental property, or already own one here? My free Rental Investing Guide covers the neighborhoods, the numbers, and the Oklahoma-specific rules.

One smart move for September

If you're planning to sell this year, the fall window is real but short. Buyers who are still looking in September and October tend to be serious: relocations, job starts, families who want to be settled before the holidays. They also have 3,355 other listings to compare you against. Price to the last 60 days of closed sales on your street, not to the spring, and get the small stuff done before photos: touch-up paint, a clean roof line, working light bulbs. Homes that show well and price right are still going for full asking. Homes that don't are the ones pushing the metro's median toward 56 days.

Let's talk

Wondering what your home would sell for with 3,355 other listings out there? Trying to decide whether to buy this fall or wait? Email me at ben@bennemecek.com. I read every note. Or grab a time on my calendar.