CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

31.84° N · 102.50° W · GEOID 4877728

West Odessa

Ector County, Texas · part of the Odessa, TX metro

TexasWest Odessa, TXWest OdessaWest Odessa

The short answer

West Odessa is home to 32,594 people. Median household income is $65,234 a year and median rent is $891 a month, 16.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $126,300, about 1.9x annual median household income.

The story in West Odessa is how fast things are changing. Household income rose 1.2% a year while rent rose -2.4% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, pay gained on rent more than in 96% of places its size. Also notable: Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 250 hours a year commuting, more than in 97% of places its size.

17OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

West Odessa scores better than 17% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 330th of 407 in Texas.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%90
Economy 20%30
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%6
Education 10%16
Commute 10%9
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$891
35% below the median place
Median household income
$65,234
19% below the median place
Median home value
$126,300
60% below the median place
Unemployment
6.0%
23% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about West Odessa

  • Affordability25% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 99% of the 986 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to West Odessa

Ector County gains about 4.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in8,571
Moved out7,938
Net+633

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Midland County, TX1,9292,398−469
Bexar County, TX158184−26

Within Texas, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TexasOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$51K
Leavers$68K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Ector County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Ector County report $51,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $68,100, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$35,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $891 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,792 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $126,300.
Getting to work
34 minutes each way on average; 3.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Jasper, AL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
5.9%
2% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$51,217
27% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people6
4.8
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWest OdessaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year15.9%2% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.0%2% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure4.8above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$51,21727% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$68,1243% below
02

What it costs to live here

The median home costs 1.9 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 99% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

West Odessa16.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$35,640
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.4%
20% below the median place
Home price to income
1.9x
49% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$57,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in West Odessa, $891 a month, and local prices for everything else (94.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like West Odessa, but easier on the budget

Places that match West Odessa on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Jasper, AL8513.1% vs 16.4%$2,600Compare
Hartselle, AL8512.6% vs 16.4%$14,000Compare
Valley Center, KS8113.8% vs 16.4%$13,400Compare
Marshfield, MO7912.6% vs 16.4%$5,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in West Odessa.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to West Odessa? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
24.7%
51% below the median place
Median home value1
$126,300
60% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,334
59% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureWest OdessaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$89135% below
Rent to income116.4%20% below
Property tax rate11.1%16% above
Home price to income11.9x49% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure93.97% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,5226% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,33459% below
Median home value1$126,30060% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure3.1%3% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure21.2%59% below
Homeownership175.2%13% above
Renters paying 30%+124.7%51% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,7924% below
Vacant homes16.9%2% below
Median year built119901% above
03

Work and pay

Works from home is 3.2%, 75% below the median place.

Works from home1
3.2%
75% below the median place
Mean commute1
34 min
36% above the median place
Poverty rate1
16.6%
55% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$32,535 −19%
Unemployment6.0% +23%
Median household income$65,234 −19%
All 9 work and pay measures
MeasureWest OdessaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$65,23419% below
Income per person1$32,53519% below
Unemployment16.0%23% above
Average annual pay5County figure$75,76315% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure1.0%73% below
Jobs5County figure80,44947% below
Poverty rate116.6%55% above
Mean commute134 min36% above
Works from home13.2%75% below
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 30.3%, 373% above the median place.

No health insurance1
30.3%
373% above the median place
High school or higher1
70.2%
24% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
82.4%
11% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age33.7 −14%
Bachelor's or higher17.8% −45%
Born abroad22.6% 2.6×
Household size2.7 +7%
All 8 people measures
MeasureWest OdessaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population132,5941409th largest
Median age133.714% below
Bachelor's or higher117.8%45% below
High school or higher170.2%24% below
Household size12.77% above
Born abroad122.6%155% above
No health insurance130.3%373% above
Homes with broadband182.4%11% below
05

Life in West Odessa

OpenStreetMap shows 0.6 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 99% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.6 −94%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.6 −71%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k2.5 −78%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park 116 miles
  • Fort Davis National Historic Site 120 miles
  • Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness 138 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.6 −6%
Shops31.3 +3%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.6 −37%
Doctors' offices and clinics13.9 −31%
Child care centers1.6 −30%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site9
116.2
277% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7
2.6
37% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k7
1.6
30% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureWest OdessaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure50above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure37,450above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure19.728% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure19.66% below
Shops per 10k7County figure31.33% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure2.637% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure13.931% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure1.630% below
Parks per 10k80.694% below
Playgrounds per 10k80.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k80.671% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k82.578% below
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site9116.2277% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles90below (median 2)
National Register listings10County figure192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 96°F, 10% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached West Odessa. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high12
96°F
10% above the median place
Annual precipitation12
13.5 in
69% below the median place
Average temperature12
65°F
18% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureWest OdessaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure96°F10% above
January average low12County figure31°F23% above
Average temperature12County figure65°F18% above
Annual precipitation12County figure13.5 in69% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure82.810% below
Hurricane risk13County figure36.349% below
Tornado risk13County figure82.41% above
Wildfire risk13County figure88.344% above
Heat wave risk13County figure86.24% below
Median air quality index14County figure399% below
Good air days14County figure72.3%6% above
08

West Odessa in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 16% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, West Odessa does better than 90% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 12%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$891/mo (2024)$1,110/mo$910 to $1,350/mo+3.7%
Median household income$65,234 (2024)$81,500$68,500 to $96,000+3.7%
Median home value$126,300 (2024)$176,000$128,000 to $243,000+5.7%

The median home would be worth 2.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 1.9 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like West Odessa

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Charlotte, MI$887$62,681Compare
Sturgis, MI$826$62,710Compare
Liberty, NY$889$64,913Compare
Cameron, TX$962$62,443Compare
Cameron, TXLiberty, NYSturgis, MICharlotte, MIWest Odessa, TXWest OdessaCharlotteSturgisLibertyCameronWest OdessaCharlotteSturgisLibertyCameron

Places built like West Odessa

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how West Odessa performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
West Odessa, TX16.4%1.2%/yrn/a
Del Rio, TX16.2%8.0%/yr-0.6%Compare
La Porte, TX20.5%1.4%/yr8.1%Compare
Ennis, TX21.8%5.4%/yr27.6%Compare
San Benito, TX23.1%9.7%/yr-0.0%Compare
Alvin, TX20.4%4.8%/yr11.7%Compare
Dickinson, TX16.1%6.5%/yr2.3%Compare

Common questions

Is West Odessa a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 17 out of 100, better than 17% of the places we rate and 330th of 407 in Texas. 25% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 99% of the 986 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 86 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is West Odessa expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $126,300.

What salary do you need to live in West Odessa?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $35,640 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to West Odessa?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Charlotte, MI, Sturgis, MI, Liberty, NY and Cameron, TX.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares West Odessa with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for West Odessa itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/west-odessa-texas

Citytistics. “West Odessa, Texas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/west-odessa-texas/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.