City of Muskogee
Comprehensive Housing Study

Muskogee has been gradually losing households over the past decade. Without new action, this trend is likely to continue.

However, the broader region is experiencing significant positive growth. With the right policy interventions and strategic investments, Muskogee could capture a share of this regional growth and turn the corner toward building its housing supply and household population again.

Even after prices and interest rates jumped post-Covid, Muskogee remains an affordable place to buy a home for most local households.

As the table illustrates, a household earning the median income (estimated at $52,722 in 2025) can comfortably afford the price of a typical home on today’s market in the city.

Housing within Muskogee is considerably more affordable than in other parts of the county or the greater Tulsa region.

Muskogee’s household population has gradually declined over the past decade and is on track to continue doing so. However, this seems driven at least in part by the fact that the city loses an average of 100 units per year to vacancy and demolition.

By reversing this trend toward a stable or growing housing stock, Muskogee would likely see household population rise again, especially given the region’s strong demand for new housing.

There is significant competition for housing affordable to lower-income households in Muskogee. Adding more housing at all price points would help reduce this competition and preserve affordable prices. In general, communities that build new housing at faster rates tend to experience slower increases in local housing costs than those that build slower.

Households are cost burdened when paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs. They are considered severely cost burdened when these costs exceed 50% of their income. For renters, this includes lease rent and utilities. For homeowners, this includes mortgage costs, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and any condo fees.

Muskogee benefits from significant federal support to help house low-income households. However, the Housing Authority reports up to 200 Housing Choice Vouchers remain unused because local landlords are unwilling to accept them. If this trend continues too long, HUD may begin revoking portions of unused vouchers.

While some people commute longer distances, most of the people who work in Muskogee live within or just outside the city. The most popular neighborhoods outside of Muskogee are concentrated in Fort Gibson and the Hilldale school district.

Muskogee does not have enough available housing to attract more of these households into the city.

Especially on the east side, many of Muskogee’s neighborhoods are at least as stable and desirable as those in competing neighborhoods just outside the city line. This market strength represents a solid foundation to build from as Muskogee seeks to attract more people, families, and local employees to live in the city.

The neighborhoods in Muskogee that are less competitive in today’s market represent inventories lower-cost housing and vacant properties that could be systematically renovated and rebuilt over time to provide a renewed supply of quality, attainable housing stock.

The map at right compares neighborhoods within and around Muskogee in terms of their relative stability and market condition. The map includes additional layers supporting this assessment, including parcel value per acre which helps highlight properties that are particularly well-invested or under-invested.

The Muskogee region is expected to grow by about 1,725 households over the next 10 years. About 1,500 of these net-new households earn annual incomes above $80,000, making them particularly equipped to pay market rate prices for new houses and apartments.

Muskogee should strategically position to attract a share of this new growth, especially the higher-earners who can help support new development of market rate housing.

Muskogee should take steps to tap the region’s current growth wave and reverse its household decline toward a decade of renewed growth.

600 net-new units by 2030
Reverse the tide: Gradually transition from losing 100 units annually to gaining 175 units per year.

1,500 net-new units by 2035
Hit a new stride: Maintain a new pace of at least 175 net new units per year.

This list of barriers to housing access and production is informed by the study’s detailed analysis and stakeholder focus group discussions. New policies and investments on the part of the City and other stakeholders should be designed to confront these challenges.

Based on results of the public survey distributed during the study process, most residents also consider these issues among the most important housing topics for the City to address.

Land and infill challenges
Little publicly owned land
Disinterested private owners
Development risk
Limited developer pool

High development and financing costs
Rising construction costs
Low price expectations
Elevated mortgage rates
Increased financing costs

Constrained public resources
Unused vouchers
Limited municipal funding

Competition from other communities
School preferences
Commuting distance
Perception challenges