It comes as no surprise that this urban heart of the energy, biosciences and aerospace sectors has a stratospheric trajectory—aptly captured in the 1,907-foot Legends Tower, which begins construction this year. When completed, OKC will sport the sixth-tallest building in the world, part of the $1.6-billion Bricktown development that also encompasses hotels, residences and commercial space. It all pairs nicely with its $288-million downtown convention center (ranked #44), still gleaming after opening in 2021. Outside, there’s the only urban whitewater rafting facility in the world—home to RIVERSPORT OKC, an Olympic and Paralympic training site—and, defying all urban definitions, OKANA: a just-opened indoor waterpark and resort equipped with all the expected thrills. That’s enough to work up an appetite, and OKC’s #37-ranked restaurants are happy to oblige with everything from homestyle to haute cuisine. Local sports go deep here, evident in the two new proposed stadiums: a $71-million soccer stadium downtown and the $900-million Paycom Center—a monumental new home for the Oklahoma City Thunder. When it’s not pulling in fans, the city is increasingly a new hometown for thousands of families, drawn by its affordability, ranking #22 in our Housing Affordability subcategory.