Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety16#13,165/15,637
Economy36#10,018/15,631
Housing31#10,363/14,977
Health23#12,009/15,609
Healthcare10#14,036/15,650
Environment52#7,382/15,453
Education3#15,154/15,649
Infrastructure32#10,647/15,650
Community2#15,374/15,651
Leisure & amenities14#13,416/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Odessa, Texas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Ector County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

New homes permitted · high10.6 /1k
89/100Texas 6.3 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Comfortable days · high32.4%
88/100Texas 30.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationEctor County value
Distance to an airport · low13 mi
81/100Texas 33 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauEctor County value
Average weekly wage · high$1,457
80/100Texas $1,499United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEctor County value
New business applications · high17.4 /1k
80/100Texas 17.2 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauEctor County value
Child care cost burden · low24.2%
78/100Texas 24.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteEctor County value

Weaknesses

Public libraries · low0.1 /10k
0/100Texas 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesEctor County value
Voter turnout · low41.7%
1/100Texas 57.8%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionEctor County value
Mammography screening · low30.0%
2/100Texas 42.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteEctor County value
High school diploma or higher · low81.7%
3/100Texas 86.0%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Hot days · high119 days
4/100Texas 111 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationEctor County value
Reading scores · low2.63
5/100Texas 2.89United States 3.052018University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteEctor County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
40.2% (2015-2019) → 55.6% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateWorsening
14.4% (2015-2019) → 23.8% (2020-2024)
+9.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
25.7% (2015-2019) → 32.6% (2020-2024)
+6.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.4× (2015-2019) → 3.0× (2020-2024)
+28%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Poverty rateWorsening
11.1% (2015-2019) → 16.2% (2020-2024)
+5.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
83.7% (2015-2019) → 88.7% (2020-2024)
+5 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Odessa, Texas improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 7 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+5 points83.7% → 88.7%
Household income+15%$63,847 → $73,472

Declined5

Child poverty+9.4 points14.4% → 23.8%
Poverty+5.1 points11.1% → 16.2%
Rent burden+15 points40.2% → 55.6%
Rent / income+6.9 points25.7% → 32.6%
Price / income+0.7×2.4× → 3.0×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Odessa, Texas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.6 min2015-2019	22.4 min2020-2024	+0.8 min	Within the margin of error	38%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.5%2015-2019	19.0%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Broadband subscriptions	83.7%2015-2019	88.7%2020-2024	+5 points	Improved	32%
Child poverty rate	14.4%2015-2019	23.8%2020-2024	+9.4 points	Declined	12%
Effective property tax rate	1.36%2015-2019	1.40%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	11%
High school diploma or higher	79.8%2015-2019	81.6%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	3.0×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	38%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4532015-2019	0.4612020-2024	+0.009	Within the margin of error	43%
Median household income	$63,8472015-2019	$73,4722020-2024	+15%	Improved	24%
Poverty rate	11.1%2015-2019	16.2%2020-2024	+5.1 points	Declined	12%
Rent as share of income	25.7%2015-2019	32.6%2020-2024	+6.9 points	Declined	15%
Rent-burdened households	40.2%2015-2019	55.6%2020-2024	+15 points	Declined	14%
Unemployment rate	6.0%2015-2019	5.9%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	20.0%2015-2019	20.2%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	43%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Odessa, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Odessa, Texas in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Odessa, Texas itself moved −15.3 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

115,322 residents (±38)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 30–39 men (+1.7 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

115,322 residents (±38)

Odessa, Texas
Texas share

White28%31,760
Black5.8%6,644
Hispanic or Latino63%72,314
Asian1.6%1,818
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%†213
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.1%†168
Other or two or more races2.1%2,405

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−6.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

70,195 residents (±1,334)

Odessa, Texas
Texas share

No high school diploma18%12,881
High school or GED31%21,927
Some college23%15,956
Associate degree8.7%6,108
Bachelor's degree13%8,989
Graduate degree6.2%4,334

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

46,660 households (±838)

Odessa, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k17%7,983
$25k–50k18%8,590
$50k–75k15%7,131
$75k–100k12%5,609
$100k–150k20%9,467
$150k–200k8.8%4,121
$200k or more8.1%3,759

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $50k–75k (−4.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

46,660 households (±838)

Odessa, Texas
Texas share

Own60%27,891
Rent40%18,769

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

17,860 households (±1,237)

Odessa, Texas
Texas share

Under $7509.8%†1,744
$750–1,00016%2,812
$1,000–1,50043%7,607

Home values

27,891 homes (±1,325)

Odessa, Texas
Texas share

Under $150k28%7,834
$150k–250k32%8,885
$250k–400k31%8,573

Age of homes

49,871 homes (±801)

Odessa, Texas
Texas share

2010 or later21%10,603
2000–20099.4%4,676
1980–199919%9,376

Size of homes

49,871 homes (±801)

Odessa, Texas
Texas share

Studio3.3%1,631
1 bedroom15%7,505
2 bedrooms21%10,570

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

54,803 workers (±1,538)

Odessa, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone83%45,737
Carpool11%5,876
Public transit0.2%†127
Walk0.8%†426
Bike0.1%†70
Work from home3.4%1,839
Other1.3%†728

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Walk (−1.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

52,964 workers (±1,558)

Odessa, Texas
Texas share

Under 15 min34%17,931
15–29 min42%22,408
30–44 min14%7,270

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Odessa, TX

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Ector County, the county holding most of Odessa's residents.

Ector County has 3,994 employer establishments, 241 for every 10,000 residents (0.97× the US rate of 248; 1.10× Texas's), with 66,236 paid employees at an average annual pay of $72,006. The Census Bureau also counts 19,299 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,994; 19,299 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 241; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 66,236
Average annual pay: $72,006; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Ector County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	292	17.6	3.48×More than typical	2,354	$86,810	2,979
Restaurants and other eating places	278	16.8	0.91×About typical	6,265	$24,489	168
Ambulatory health care services	229	13.8	0.66×Fewer than typical	2,546	$88,436	333
Specialty trade contractors	199	12	0.77×Fewer than typical	2,400	$77,634	1,923
Limited-service restaurants	146	8.8	1.10×About typical	3,398	$22,249	50
Automotive repair and maintenance	116	7	1.39×More than typical	932	$50,672	778
Lessors of real estate	100	6	0.49×Fewer than typical	405	$54,027	753
Full-service restaurants	97	5.8	0.76×Fewer than typical	2,418	$28,404	67
Building equipment contractors	95	5.7	0.95×About typical	1,225	$76,648	295
Offices of physicians	87	5.2	0.81×About typical	1,017	$135,158	47
Religious organizations	80	4.8	0.87×About typical	710	$25,023	—
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	77	4.6	2.90×More than typical	1,112	$79,169	293

Rank places for an industry Open Ector County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 165,946 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $8,648 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Odessa, Texas: $0.07 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $8,648; +92% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.07; US $1,994
Sole-source: 21%; US 30%
Single offer: 79%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Drug Enforcement Administration$6,82679%
National Park Service$1,67819%
Defense Logistics Agency$1441.7%

Top recipients

DALE, BETTY L$6,82679%
ODESSA PUMPS AND EQUIPMENT, INC$1,67819%
KNIGHTEN MACHINE AND SERVICE INC$1441.7%
J.E. FEDERAL ENTERPRISES, LLC.$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

10.6KFY2017
24.2KFY2018
1.7KFY2019
1.9KFY2020
11.5KFY2021
10.4KFY2022
223.1KFY2023
4.8KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Lessors of real estate · 5311$6,82679%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$1,67819%
Other general purpose machinery manufacturing · 3339$1441.7%

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Odessa, Texas

EP/TOWERSITE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: OCTOBER 1, 2025- SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 REQUESTOR: ERNESTO X NAVARRO POP DATES: 10/01/2025 TO 09/30/2026 FUND TO DATE: 09/30/2026$7,200
DALE, BETTY L· Ector County, TX· Construction & real property· Jul 9, 2025 – Dec 8, 2025· 15DDEL25P00000016
EP/TOWERSITE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: OCTOBER 1, 2026- SEPTEMBER 30, 2027 REQUESTOR: ERNESTO X NAVARRO POP DATES: 10/01/2026 TO 09/30/2027 FUND TO DATE: 09/30/2027$0
DALE, BETTY L· Ector County, TX· Construction & real property· Jul 21, 2026 – Jul 21, 2026· 15DDEL26P00000028

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Odessa, Texas, so they do not add up across cities.

Odessa, Texas's figures are part of those of Ector County, TX and Midland County, TX ($8.9M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.1% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Odessa is mostly in Ector County.

See federal money in Ector County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Odessa, Texas is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

August PflugerR-TX-11 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Odessa, TX12

Other cities and towns in Ector County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4853388

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends