Indian tepees and settlers' sod houses dotted the Oklahoma plains when the "eighty-niners" swarmed into the territory; old neighborhoods in cities and towns of Oklahoma still retain some of the modest frame houses they built. Oklahomans continue to prefer single-family dwellings, despite a recent trend toward condominiums. Modern underground homes and solar-heated dwellings can be seen in the university towns of Norman and Stillwater.
In 2002, there were an estimated 1,541,518 housing units, of which 1,338,651 were occupied; 68.7% were owner-occupied. About 72.2% of all units were single-family, detached homes. Utility gas and electricity were the most common energy sources for heating. It was estimated that 81,042 units lacked telephone service, 8,856 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 7,351 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household size was 2.52 people.
In 2002, 12,979 new privately owned units were authorized for construction. The median home value was $79,839. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $832. Renters paid a median of $503 per month. During 2002, Oklahoma received over $59.3 million in community planning and development aid from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.