Relocation Guide
Moving to the OKC metro? Start here.
A step-by-step plan for choosing a town, budgeting for the move, checking a specific home, and settling in during your first month.
Your Move, Step by Step
Six steps from “we’re moving” to settled
Work through them in order, or jump to the one you need. Each step links to the pages and official sites that go deeper.
Choose an area
Start with where you’ll work, study or spend most of your week, then look at the towns around it.
Compare towns
Line up counties, school districts and drive times side by side before you look at homes.
Plan your budget
Account for the monthly payment and the one-time costs of the move itself.
Check a specific address
Flood zone, school assignment, utilities and internet all depend on the exact address.
Get ready for moving day
Set start dates for utilities and gather the records you’ll need on arrival.
Settle in your first month
License, tags, voter registration, weather alerts and finding your way around.
Moving on military orders? Our VA & PCS guide covers VA loans and moves to Tinker Air Force Base.
Step 1
Choose an area
Mark the places you’ll go every week: your workplace or base, schools, family, the airport. Then look at the towns within a drive you’re comfortable making.
- Each community guide covers local landmarks, things to do, school districts, typical drive times and what we check when buying there.
- School districts don’t follow city limits, so a town name alone doesn’t tell you which schools serve an address.
- The metro spans several counties, which affects property taxes and county services.
Step 2
Compare towns on the facts
Our community comparison puts each town’s county, public school districts and typical drive times to downtown Oklahoma City and Tinker Air Force Base in one table.
Before you narrow it down
- Drive your commute at the time of day you’d actually make it. Rush-hour traffic on I-35, I-40 and I-44 can be very different from a Saturday drive.
- Some routes use toll turnpikes. Check whether your daily route does before you compare drive times.
- Confirm the school for a specific address with the school district, not a map app or a listing.
- Find out whether a home is inside city limits. It can change who provides water, trash pickup and other services.
Step 3
Plan your housing and moving budget
Most budgets cover the house. Fewer cover the move. Plan for both.
Housing costs
- Down payment, or a VA loan with no down payment if you’re eligible
- Closing costs, and whether the seller will contribute
- The monthly payment, including property taxes and homeowners insurance
- Homeowners insurance details, including the wind and hail deductible
- HOA dues, if the neighborhood has an association
Moving costs
- Movers, a truck rental, or shipping a vehicle
- Short-term housing if your move-out and move-in dates don’t line up
- Utility deposits and connection fees
- Oklahoma driver’s license, vehicle tags and registration after you arrive
- Selling your current home, if you own one, and timing the two closings
Step 4
Check a specific address
Two homes on the same street can have different flood zones, and two homes in the same town can be in different school districts. Check the address, not just the area.
What to ask about any home
- Which school the address is assigned to, confirmed with the district
- Who provides electric, gas, water, sewer and trash, and whether it’s city or private service
- Which internet providers serve the exact address. Ask the seller what they use, then check that provider’s own address lookup.
- Whether the home has a storm shelter or safe room
- On acreage: well and septic records and inspections, fencing, easements and any restrictions on land use
Step 5
Get ready for moving day
Each community guide’s “New to” section links that town’s own city services, utilities and library.
Before the move
- Schedule start dates for electric, gas, water, trash and internet at the new home
- Schedule shutoff dates at your current home
- Forward your mail and update your address with banks, insurance and employers
- Request school records and contact the new district about enrollment
- Book movers or a truck, and confirm the dates in writing
Moving week
- Confirm each utility is on before the truck arrives
- Keep closing documents, IDs and school records with you, not on the truck
- Find the main water shutoff, the breaker panel and the HVAC filter
- Decide where your household will go during a tornado warning
- Change the locks or rekey, and reset garage and gate codes
Step 6
Settle in your first month
The statewide basics first, then the fun part: finding your favorite places.
Find your way around
- Turn on emergency alerts on your phone, and learn whether your city sounds outdoor warning sirens
- Get a library card. Your community guide names the library system for your town.
- Learn your trash and recycling day from your city
- Pick a first weekend outing from This Week Around OKC
- Try a few places to eat from your town’s guide on the Explore page
Planning a move to the OKC metro?
Tell us where you’re coming from and where you’ll work or go to school. We’ll help you compare towns and plan the move.