We just got back from the Festival of Light in Chickasha on what turned into a blustery Friday night across Oklahoma. The wind is a-howlin’!

This is a must-do tradition each Christmas season. We take the carriage ride, have some cocoa and a cinnamon roll, and take photos in that tunnel. You know the one.

Best holiday lights in the state — in my opinion of course.

I’ve got a couple of conversations for you this morning — one with congressional candidate John Croisant out of CD-1 in the Tulsa area. We talk about three aspects of affordability. That word — affordability — is a term you’ll likely get sick of in 2026 because it will be the theme of the election season. It’s the concept we’re all trying to figure out, both politically and for our own families.

The other conversation also pertains to affordability, but this one is with Kimberly Robbins, president of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors (OKCMAR). We talk about homeowners’ insurance and how Realtors across the state can help.

Enjoy your weekend!

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo
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Oklahoma remains cheaper than much of the country, but affordability has become the defining pressure point for middle-class families. Nearly half of Oklahomans fall below the ALICE Threshold — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — meaning they work full-time yet struggle to cover housing, health care, and child care. A long conversation with Congressional District 1 candidate John Croisant underscored how these three costs are intersecting to shape daily life.

Housing leads the list. In Tulsa alone, officials estimate the city is short more than 14,600 units. That shortage pushes prices up across the board, even as developers, nonprofits and the Tulsa Housing Authority partner on mixed-income projects meant to replace aging public housing. New complexes at 36th & North and along the west bank of the Arkansas River will house nearly 1,000 residents, combining market-rate and subsidized units. Croisant says these projects have lifted average incomes in formerly distressed areas while encouraging new schools, businesses and services to locate nearby.

Health care affordability adds an even heavier burden. Oklahomans who receive insurance through employers are seeing rates rise sharply, while self-employed residents depend on ACA marketplace plans whose future is tangled in congressional negotiations. Croisant argues that ending subsidies or returning to pre-ACA rules would push thousands off insurance and lead to more emergency-room-only care — the most expensive form of treatment. He points to the growing role of private intermediaries in driving up costs, leaving hospitals, doctors and pharmacies squeezed even as patients pay more.

Long-term, he supports a Medicare-for-All-style base layer of universal coverage, with the option to buy supplemental private plans on top of it. The goal, he says, is ensuring preventive care is accessible before small issues become medical or financial emergencies. Roughly 80% of U.S. health spending occurs in the final years of life, and the system isn’t designed to balance aging demand with shrinking workforces in medicine and nursing.

Child care completes the picture, especially for families who want to stay in the workforce. Basic child care in Oklahoma often runs more than $1,300 per month per child — a price that forces many parents, often mothers, to leave full-time work entirely. With the U.S. birth rate falling to 1.6 children per household, Croissant says child care affordability isn’t just a family issue; it’s an economic one. Without a larger, stable workforce, the country can’t support its aging population or fill critical fields like education and health care.

To bring costs down, he backs expanding the federal child tax credit for younger children, strengthening the child care workforce through incentives and increasing early-education capacity. In his view, public schools should eventually serve children beginning at age 3, providing reliable full-day schedules that align with work hours. Private employers also need to play a role, he says, because most workdays don’t end at 2:30 p.m.

The costs may differ — rent, premiums, child care tuition — but the theme is consistent: the middle class is losing ground, even when households are doing everything right. Housing, health care and child care aren’t abstract policy debates; they’re monthly bills that determine whether a person can stay healthy, stay housed and stay working. The ALICE Threshold makes that plain, and the pressure shows no sign of easing.

This conversation is available on YouTube and wherever you get podcasts. Please subscribe, follow, and leave ‘Oklahoma Memo’ a 5-star review to help the podcast reach more people.

By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo
Subscribe to the YouTube channel

Home insurance prices in Oklahoma are now roughly triple the national average, a trend drawing attention from buyers, sellers, and policymakers. Kimberly Robbins, president of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors (OKCMAR), says Realtors are increasingly helping clients factor insurance costs into every stage of a transaction.

Robbins noted that while weather history plays a role, the impact on consumers is unavoidable — and shopping around is essential. She said that Realtors help buyers compare coverage, evaluate risks tied to specific properties, and understand how insurance affects affordability.

OKCMAR also uses its regional MLS data to guide clients and inform policymakers on market trends. “Homeownership is still one of the most powerful ways to build wealth,” Robbins said, adding that understanding the full cost of ownership is more important than ever.

Despite rising premiums, she emphasized that Oklahoma remains one of the better-value housing markets nationally, provided buyers work with experienced real estate professionals who stay on top of local conditions.

This conversation is available on YouTube and wherever you get podcasts. Please subscribe, follow, and leave ‘Oklahoma Memo’ a 5-star review to help the podcast reach more people.

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

Instead of the top reads of the day like we do on Monday through Friday, this is a collection of the top reads of the week:

• Oklahoma high school football playoff scores (Touchdown Friday Night)

• OKC Thunder survives Phoenix Suns in Jalen Williams' return to advance in NBA Cup (The Oklahoman)*

• Three Oklahoma congressmen ranked as ‘highly effective’ lawmakers (Oklahoma Voice)

• Small businesses want Tulsans to shop local Saturday. Here’s where to find deals. (Tulsa Flyer)

• Oklahoma fire crews rescue person who fell more than 100 feet off cliff (KOCO)

• Five families file federal lawsuit against Hugo Public Schools over abuse allegations (KXII)

• OK County DA: No charges in Edmond incident involving Rev. Scobey's wife (The Oklahoman)*

• Oklahoma WWII soldier identified after 70+ years (KSWO)

• Investigating the ‘Mississippi Miracle’ and what Oklahoma can learn from its education reform (News On 6)

• Two memorial services scheduled for Tulsa Race Massacre survivor Viola Fletcher (Tulsa World)*

• Former Oklahoma state parks restaurant operator now facing lawsuit (The Oklahoman)*

• Stallings recuses from EPIC case after defense attorney backs her judicial opponent (NonDoc)

• Gravesite mismanagement forces 2 Cheyenne and Arapaho children to remain at former Carlisle boarding school (KOSU)

• Coal County Sheriff Jason Smith, Undersheriff Jesse Yother indicted by grand jury (NonDoc)

• OU College of International Studies professor released by ICE (OU Daily)

• After alleged sexual crime, two Owasso football players removed from roster (Tulsa World)*

• Connors State College basketball player dies days after suffering injury during game (KOCO)

• Four injured in Weatherford ammonia leak file lawsuit against Airgas, hotel (The Oklahoman)*

• 'It’s a little shocking': Birth control linked to 20-year-old Oklahoma woman's stroke (KOCO)

• Oklahoma City woman grateful for second chance after lifesaving double-lung transplant (News 9)

• From the U.S.-Mexico border to Oklahoma’s backroads: Why deep reporting matters (The Frontier)

• Listen to KGOU’s Oklahoma Future Forum: Medicaid event (KGOU)

• Oklahoma Chronicle: What issues are going to drive gubernatorial race? (KOCO)

• Oklahoma’s education ranking: What can be done to improve? | Beyond the Bell (News 9)

The high will be early in the day. It gets colder through the afternoon!

🌡️ Saturday’s high in OKC 59°
🌡️ Saturday’s high in Tulsa 56°

Black Friday is here, but these deals won’t last long! Shop Medik8 and save 30% off your must-have products*

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The ‘Oklahoma Memo’ mission is simple: Reignite the daily local news habit by connecting Oklahomans and those who love Oklahoma to quality sources of news and vetted information.

✅ Save you time.
✅ Make you smarter.
✅ Strengthen your community.

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Message me anytime at [email protected].