Photo: TulGuy · CC BY 4.0Measured against area pay, Salina costs less to live in than 94% of U.S. towns
Up 5.5% in a year, 12% below the Oklahoma typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Mayes County, OK ($60K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Mayes County earn ($60K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.6 years of area income, and 49% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $193Ktypical home, 12% below the Oklahoma typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $940a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$60K, Mayes County income
- 15%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 23%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Salina
What’s behind Salina’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Salina is more affordable than 94% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged Oklahoma: the typical Salina home is up 18.4% in five years, against 25.9% statewide (Zillow).
Up 18.4% in five years
Slower than Oklahoma (25.9%).
Show as a table
| January | Salina | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $101,000 | $129,000 |
| 2018 | $107,000 | $133,000 |
| 2019 | $119,000 | $138,000 |
| 2020 | $129,000 | $146,000 |
| 2021 | $145,000 | $161,000 |
| 2022 | $174,000 | $183,000 |
| 2023 | $179,000 | $201,000 |
| 2024 | $181,000 | $207,000 |
| 2025 | $186,000 | $215,000 |
| 2026 | $187,000 | $218,000 |
| September 2026 | $193,000 | $221,000 |
A typical Salina home worth $103K in October 2016 is worth about $193K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 1.6 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Salina’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Salina home, with $51K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $940 a month here, $170 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Salina’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 $940
Renters already here pay a median of $746, 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 (Delaware County, OK): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Salina in 2025. The last year with any was 2024 (2 new homes).
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $605,000 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $130,000 |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $685,000 |
| 2017 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $300,000 |
| 2016 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $250,000 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
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 $561 (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+”.
Salina vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Salina has the lowest. Wickliffe has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salina | A | $193K | $98K | 0.57% | $940 |
| Wickliffe | – | — | $119K | 0.59% | $940 |
“—” 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 Salina
Is Salina expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Salina costs less than 94% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living. The typical home costs 1.6 years of the median household income of Mayes County, OK ($60K).
How much does a house cost in Salina?
About $193K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 5.5% in a year. The Oklahoma typical home is $221K.
What salary do you need to live in Salina?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $47,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,110 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 Salina?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $940 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $746 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Salina?
The median bill is $561 a year, 0.57% of the median home value (Oklahoma: $1,599, 0.80%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Salina going up?
Yes: up 5.5% in the past year and 18.4% in five years, against 25.9% across Oklahoma (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Salina 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. 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.