Relocation report 2026

Moving from Maine to Oklahoma

Moving to Oklahoma on the same salary raises your real buying power by 12.3%. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.

About 1,810 miles by road
Equal salary in OK
$65,400
matches $75,000 in ME
Take-home change per year
+$930
same $75,000 salary, after 2026 taxes
Moving cost (2–3 BR)
$1,170–$15,210
truck to full-service
Households made this move
74
IRS, 2022–2023
Your income

Equal salary in OK: $65,400

To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $65,400 in Oklahoma to match $75,000 in Maine ($9,600 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.

Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.

Take-home in ME
$57,833
22.9% total tax
Take-home in OK
$58,763
21.6% total tax
Take-home change per year
+$930
same salary, after moving
Purchasing power
+12.3%
prices lower by 9.5%
Renting: yearly change after selected costs
+$2,941
take-home change − rent change ($1,210 → $1,044/mo) − power bill change
Buying the median home (20% down): yearly change after selected costs
+$8,849
take-home change − change in monthly cost to own the median home ($2,159 → $1,501/mo: 30-year mortgage at the current 6.95% average rate, property tax, insurance) − power bill change

These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.

2026 taxes on a $75,000 salary in Maine and Oklahoma
Tax on $75,000MaineOklahoma
Federal income tax$7,670$7,670
Social Security + Medicare$5,738$5,738
State income tax$3,385$2,830
State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit)$375$0
Take-home pay$57,833$58,763

Key facts: Maine to Oklahoma

Median rent
$1,210 → $1,044/mo
Median home value
$341,900 → $222,100
Price level (U.S. = 100)
97.0 → 87.8
Road distance
≈ 1,810 miles
Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
Above average → Among the highest

What changes when you move to Oklahoma

Yearly rent at the state median
Maine$14,520
Oklahoma$12,528

Who moves from Maine to Oklahoma

In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 74 households (132 people) filed their taxes in Oklahoma after filing in Maine the year before. That makes Oklahoma the #38 destination for people leaving Maine. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $71,108. Going the other way, 88 households moved from Oklahoma to Maine, a net loss of 14 households for Oklahoma.

Five-year trend

Moves from Maine to Oklahoma reached a five-year high in 2022–23, up 25% from 2018–19.

Households moving ME → OK, by IRS tax year
2018–1959
2019–2074
2020–2161
2021–2273
2022–2374

Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.

Cost to move from Maine to Oklahoma

Moving cost: $1,170–$15,210

Moving about 1,810 miles from Maine to Oklahoma costs roughly $1,170 – $15,210, depending on how much of the work you hire out.

Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).

Moving methodTypical range
Rental truck (DIY)
Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time.
$1,170 – $5,450
Moving container
You pack and load; the company drives the container.
$2,040 – $5,600
Full-service movers
Packing, loading, transport and unloading.
$3,250 – $15,210

These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.

A rental truck also burns about 181 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.

Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.

Shipping a car from Maine to Oklahoma

Car shipping: $1,180–$1,720

Shipping a sedan from Maine to Oklahoma on an open carrier costs about $1,180–$1,720, typically 5–10 days in transit over about 1,810 miles.

Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.

Maine vs Oklahoma take-home pay at every salary

Salary needed in Oklahoma to match each Maine salary, and take-home pay in both states (single filer, 2026 taxes)
SalaryEqual salary in OKTake-home changeTake-home in METake-home in OK
$50,000$44,600+$243$40,408$40,651
$75,000$65,400+$930$57,833$58,763
$100,000$86,900+$1,674$73,551$75,226
$150,000$128,400+$3,964$103,623$107,587
$250,000$213,200+$7,194$165,283$172,478

Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.

At higher incomes, especially for homeowners, itemizing state and local taxes (deductible up to $40,400 in 2026) can lower your federal tax while you live in Maine, which narrows the gap shown.

Cost of living: Maine vs Oklahoma

Prices, rent, home values and taxes in Maine and Oklahoma
MeasureMaineOklahoma
Overall price level (U.S. = 100)97.087.8
Housing price index78.962.8
Utilities price index135.273.9
Goods price index97.293.8
Median rent (monthly)$1,210$1,044
Median home value$341,900$222,100
Median property tax (yearly)$3,103$1,672
Electricity (residential)29.59¢/kWh14.33¢/kWh
State sales tax rate5.5%4.5%
Median household income$76,442$66,148

Renting and buying: Maine vs Oklahoma

Cost to rent or buy the median home in Maine and Oklahoma
MeasureMaineOklahoma
Income to rent the median home (30% rule)$48,400$41,760
Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down)$2,159$1,501
Income needed to buy the median home$92,538$64,324
Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage)$1,081$2,225
Infant child care (center, yearly)$15,730$10,809

Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in Oklahoma for other down payments.

Your yearly budget: Maine vs Oklahoma

On a $75,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $44,777 a year in Maine and $40,634 in Oklahoma if you rent: $4,143 less after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $56,168 and $46,117 ($10,051 less).

Your yearly budget, before vs after
Yearly costs on a $75,000 salary in Maine and Oklahoma; change is Oklahoma minus Maine
Yearly costMEOKChange
Income and payroll taxes
on $75,000, single filer
$17,167$16,237-$930
Electricity
state average bill
$1,603$1,585-$18
Car insurance
one car, state average
$856$1,084+$228
Gas
12,000 miles at 25 mpg
$2,123$1,952-$171
Health insurance
one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies
$8,508$7,248-$1,260
If you rent
Rent
median, 12 months
$14,520$12,528-$1,992
Total if you rent$44,777$40,634-$4,143
If you buy the median home (20% down)
Mortgage payment
median home, 20% down, 6.95%
$21,727$14,114-$7,613
Property tax
median home
$3,103$1,672-$1,431
Homeowners insurance
state median, with a mortgage
$1,081$2,225+$1,144
Total if you buy$56,168$46,117-$10,051

Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).

State figures: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.

Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.

Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $15,730 a year in Maine and $10,809 in Oklahoma (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).

Cost of living in Oklahoma cities: Oklahoma City, Tulsa.

After you arrive in Oklahoma

Frequently asked questions

How much salary do I need in Oklahoma to live like I do in Maine?

A $75,000 salary in Maine works out to about $65,400 in Oklahoma once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $86,900.

Will I pay less tax in Oklahoma than in Maine?

Yes, about $930 less a year in income and payroll taxes on a $75,000 salary (22.9% of pay in Maine vs 21.6% in Oklahoma). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.

How much does it cost to move from Maine to Oklahoma?

For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 1,810 miles, expect roughly $1,170–$5,450 with a rental truck, $2,040–$5,600 with a moving container, or $3,250–$15,210 with full-service movers.

Are more people moving from Maine to Oklahoma?

Moves from Maine to Oklahoma reached a five-year high in 2022–23, up 25% from 2018–19.

How many people move from Maine to Oklahoma?

IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 74 households (132 people) moved from Maine to Oklahoma, making Oklahoma the #38 destination for people leaving Maine. 88 households moved the other way.

Is Oklahoma cheaper than Maine?

Overall prices in Oklahoma are 9.5% lower than Maine (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,044 vs $1,210 a month.

Compare other moves

Where people from Maine actually move

Related