Measured against area pay, McLoud costs less to live in than 91% of U.S. towns
It ranks #18 of 131 in Oklahoma for affordability. Up 3.7% in a year, 5% above the Oklahoma typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Shawnee, OK micro area ($61K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 2 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Shawnee-area micro earn ($61K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.6 years of area income, and 29% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $232Ktypical home, 5% above the Oklahoma typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $960a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$61K, Shawnee-area income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 29%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Oklahoma: 46%Census 2020–24
- 17%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What McLoud’s housing numbers say
Rent is easier on renters here
29% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 46% across Oklahoma. A standard two-bedroom is 18% of the median household income. Renting ↓
New building is almost all single-family houses
Of the 160 homes permitted in McLoud’s past 10 years, every one was a single-family house. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind McLoud’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, McLoud is more affordable than 91% of U.S. towns, #18 of 131 in Oklahoma. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have outpaced Oklahoma: the typical McLoud home is up 31.4% in five years, against 25.9% statewide (Zillow).
Up 31.4% in five years
Faster than Oklahoma (25.9%).
Show as a table
| January | McLoud | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $119,000 | $129,000 |
| 2018 | $125,000 | $133,000 |
| 2019 | $128,000 | $138,000 |
| 2020 | $141,000 | $146,000 |
| 2021 | $158,000 | $161,000 |
| 2022 | $184,000 | $183,000 |
| 2023 | $198,000 | $201,000 |
| 2024 | $208,000 | $207,000 |
| 2025 | $222,000 | $215,000 |
| 2026 | $230,000 | $218,000 |
| September 2026 | $232,000 | $221,000 |
A typical McLoud home worth $118K in October 2016 is worth about $232K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.6 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to McLoud’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical McLoud home, with $17K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $960 a month here, $370 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, McLoud’s typical property tax (0.57% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $960
Renters already here pay a median of $718, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
17 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 17 new homes in McLoud in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $3.5 million to build. That's 3.8 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Oklahoma (5.6). Over the past 10 years, McLoud has permitted 160 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, McLoud gained 307 residents while 92 new homes were permitted: about 3.3 new residents per new home, more than across Oklahoma (1.8): growth outpaced building.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 12 | 12 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| 2025 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $3.5 million |
| 2024 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2023 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $3.5 million |
| 2022 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2021 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2020 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2019 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.9 million |
| 2018 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2017 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2016 | 22 | 22 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2015 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2014 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2013 | 8 | 5 | 3 | $1.1 million |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $183,000 |
| 2011 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $930,000 |
| 2010 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $930,000 |
| 2009 | 30 | 30 | 0 | $3.6 million |
| 2008 | 46 | 46 | 0 | $5.5 million |
| 2007 | 97 | 49 | 48 | $8.1 million |
| 2006 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2005 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2004 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2003 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $777,000 |
| 2002 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2001 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2000 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $1.4 million |
McLoud's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Oklahoma norm
The median bill is $891 (Oklahoma: $1,599), 0.57% of a home’s value a year, against 0.80% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
McLoud vs. its neighbors
Of the 2 towns here with a Zillow value, McLoud has the 2nd-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLoud | A | $232K | $157K | 0.57% | $960 |
| Dale | – | — | $84K | — | $940 |
| Oklahoma City | C+ | $205K | $231K | 1.00% | $1,340 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in McLoud
Is McLoud expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, McLoud costs less than 91% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living, #18 of 131 in Oklahoma. The typical home costs 2.6 years of the median household income of the Shawnee, OK micro area ($61K).
How much does a house cost in McLoud?
About $232K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.7% in a year. The Oklahoma typical home is $221K.
What salary do you need to live in McLoud?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $57,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,330 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $38,000.
How much is rent in McLoud?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $960 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $718 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in McLoud?
The median bill is $891 a year, 0.57% of the median home value (Oklahoma: $1,599, 0.80%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in McLoud going up?
Yes: up 3.7% in the past year and 31.4% in five years, against 25.9% across Oklahoma (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What McLoud buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.