Odessa is a larger medium-sized city located in the state of Texas. With a population of 91,053 people and 29 constituent neighborhoods, Odessa is the 27th largest community in Texas.

Unlike some cities, Odessa isn't mainly white- or blue-collar. Instead, the most prevalent occupations for people in Odessa are a mix of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Odessa is a city of sales and office workers, service providers, and professionals. There are especially a lot of people living in Odessa who work in office and administrative support jobs (15.23%), sales jobs (14.92%), and management occupations (7.33%).

One of the benefits of Odessa is that there is very little traffic. The average commute to work is 17.03 minutes, which is substantially less than the national average. Not only does this mean that the drive to work is less aggravating, but noise and pollution levels are lower as a result.

"If you live in Odessa, you are going to have to drive to get to work," say area residents. At least that is what most Odessa residents do (97.1%). Odessa is primarily built for cars, and driving around town will bare this out. Shopping centers, parking lots, strip malls, and wide streets are what you'll find. Sidewalks? Sure. But not everywhere, and walking to most places can be downright scary.

Odessa Information and Demographics

The education level of Odessa citizens, measured as those with bachelor's degrees or advanced degrees, is similar to the national average for all American cities and towns. 14.65% of adults 25 and older in Odessa have a college degree.

The per capita income in Odessa in 2000 was $16,096, which is middle income relative to Texas, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $64,384 for a family of four.

Odessa is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Odessa home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Odessa is White, followed by African-American. Odessa also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 41.46% of the city's residents. Important ancestries of people in Odessa include English, German, and Irish.

The most common language spoken in Odessa is English. Some people also speak Spanish.