Living in Odessa, TX
Mid-size city in Texas
Odessa is a mid-size city in Texas, home to about 114,000 people, with 282,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Odessa a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $268k and rents for $1,910 a month
- Low natural disaster risk: 3 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Low taxes: no state income tax, 1.37% property tax
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 282,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer graduates: 18% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- No dog parks within 9 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Odessa ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Odessa: common questions
What is the cost of living in Odessa?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $268k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,910 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 94, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Odessa?
Texas has no state income tax, and homeowners here pay about 1.37% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Odessa safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.7× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Odessa?
Odessa has mild winters: winter days average around 59°F and summer days around 94°F.
Does Odessa get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and hail: 3 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.45 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Odessa?
The nearest major airport is ELP, about 237 mi away.
How Odessa scores
Each bar compares Odessa with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Odessa right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.