Oklahoma City ended 2025 as one of the hottest new construction markets in the country — and early 2026 trends suggest that momentum is continuing.
See: NewHomeSource communities in Oklahoma City.
For buyers looking for more space and lower barriers to entry, OKC is increasingly standing out as an attractive alternative to higher-cost markets. Affordability, steady job growth, and lifestyle value are drawing both local buyers and relocators who want more for their budget.
Buyer Interest Surged at the End of 2025
NewHomeSource click activity — a strong indicator of real consumer interest — jumped 42.9% year over year in Oklahoma City in December. That stands in sharp contrast to the national picture, where activity fell nearly 20%.
More recently, month-over-month interest rose nearly 30%, making OKC one of the fastest-rising markets heading into 2026.
For buyers, rising interest signals growing competition, particularly in popular price ranges and communities.
Why Buyers Are Looking at Oklahoma City
Three factors are driving much of the increased attention:
Greater affordability compared with most U.S. markets
Stronger comparative job growth than many competing metros
Lower barriers to entry for first-time buyers
Even as prices don’t always perfectly match demand, Oklahoma City still offers opportunities to purchase new homes at price points that are difficult to find in many larger metros.
Top-Selling Communities and Builders
Several communities saw especially strong sales activity in the fourth quarter, including Hefner Crossing, Guthrie Farms, and Hollow Brook.
Across the top-performing projects, three builders dominated activity: Lennar accounted for 70% of top-selling projects, followed by Homes by Taber at 20% and LGI Homes at 10%.
For buyers, this concentration can mean consistent product offerings and multiple opportunities to compare homes within similar price ranges and neighborhoods.
What Buyers Want Most
Search data shows clear preferences among OKC shoppers. Every recorded home search during the quarter focused on single-family detached homes, highlighting strong demand for traditional neighborhood layouts.
Amenities also play a major role in buyer decisions, with pools and gated communities ranking among the most searched features. Overall, the data suggests buyers are prioritizing lifestyle upgrades while still keeping affordability in focus.
Where Price Friction Still Exists
Nearly half of all shoppers searched for homes priced between $200K and $300K, but only 30% of listings were available in that range. Meanwhile, homes priced between $400K and $500K made up a larger share of inventory, even though only 13% of shoppers were searching there.
For buyers, this imbalance means competition is strongest at lower price points. Shoppers who can stretch slightly above their initial budget may find more availability — and potentially more upgrades — especially as incentives help bridge affordability gaps.
Relocation Plays a Big Role
Many fourth-quarter OKC shoppers were relocating from Dallas, Tulsa, Chicago, and New York City. With housing costs estimated to be 20% to 50% lower than in those markets, Oklahoma City offers an opportunity for buyers to gain more space and affordability in a single move.
The Bottom Line
If 2026 continues the way 2025 ended, Oklahoma City is likely to remain one of the strongest new construction markets for buyers seeking affordability, space, and value-driven amenities. For shoppers who have struggled with affordability elsewhere, OKC may offer a rare combination of accessibility and opportunity.
The insights in this article were taken from the quarterly executive summary published in Zonda's Homebuyer Outlook.
