Ector County, TX

County

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2024 Population

164,654

US Senator

John Cornyn

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Cruz

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

31.4

0.319% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

16.5%

7.71% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$71,536

0.711% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$200,200

5.09% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

75,416

0.159% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Ector County, TX reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

89.6% of the residents in Ector County, TX are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Ector County, TX are Odessa College (1,896 degrees awarded in 2023) and The University of Texas Permian Basin (1,346 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Ector County, TX was $200,200, and the homeownership rate was 64.7%.

Most people in Ector County, TX drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25 minutes. The average car ownership in Ector County, TX was 2 cars per household.

Ector County, TX borders Andrews County, TX, Crane County, TX, Midland County, TX, Upton County, TX, Ward County, TX, and Winkler County, TX.

United States Texas Odessa, TX

Population & Diversity

Ector County, TX is home to a population of 165k people, from which 89.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 16.7% of Ector County, TX residents were born outside of the country (27.5k people).

In 2024, there were 1.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (47.2k people) in Ector County, TX than any other race or ethnicity. There were 36.3k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 32.6k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

89.6%

2024 Citizenship

89.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 89.6% of Ector County, TX residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Ector County, TX was 89.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Ector County, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ector County, TX

White (Non-Hispanic)
47.2k ± 220
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
36.3k ± 3.11k
Other (Hispanic)
32.6k ± 3.08k

63.5%

Hispanic Population

105k people

63.5% of the people in Ector County, TX are hispanic (105k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Ector County, TX as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Texas.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,397,739 ± 36,447 people
India
325,248 ± 13,925 people
El Salvador
221,729 ± 11,517 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Texas was Mexico, the natal country of 2,397,739 Texas residents, followed by India with 325,248 and El Salvador with 221,729.

Foreign-Born Population

16.7%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

27.5k people

16.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

27k people

As of 2024, 16.7% of Ector County, TX residents (27.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Ector County, TX was 16.6%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Ector County, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,841 ± 566
Vietnam
1,398 ± 242
Gulf War (1990s)
930 ± 361

Ector County, TX has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.32 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Ector County, TX.

Economy

The economy of Ector County, TX employs 75.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Ector County, TX were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (9,479 people), Retail Trade (8,692 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (8,132 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($123,839), Utilities ($101,036), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($74,184).

Employment

Occupations

75.4k

2024 Value

± 3,021

−0.159%

1 Year decline

± 5.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ector County, TX declined at a rate of −0.159%, from 75.5k employees to 75.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ector County, TX, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (8,418 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (7,800 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (7,693 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ector County, TX.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Texas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

75.4k

2024 Value

± 3,021

−0.159%

1 Year decline

± 5.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ector County, TX declined at a rate of −0.159%, from 75.5k employees to 75.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ector County, TX, are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (9,479 people), Retail Trade (8,692 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (8,132 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ector County, TX, though some of these residents may live in Ector County, TX and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$60,467

Median earning men ± $1,416

$38,854

Median earning women ± $2,254

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($76,460), Public Administration ($67,917), and Wholesale Trade ($67,415).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($80,138), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($53,267), and Public Administration ($47,360).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

Y-Axis

4.59%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 13.8M people employed in Texas. This represents a 4.59% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 9.63%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Texas.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

218
Transportation and Warehousing
205
Other Services (except Public Administration)
169
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$760k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
$489k
Wholesale Trade
$483k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Texas went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Jill Stein (0.726%).

John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are the senators currently representing the state of Texas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Texas is currently represented by 38 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Ector County, TX. Showing the available data for Texas.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (56.1%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (42.5%)
Democratic Party
Jill Stein (0.726%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Texas went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Jill Stein (0.726%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Texas for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Texas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

John Cornyn

Senator from Texas

Assumed office on December 2, 2002
Phil Gramm resigned (effective November 30, 2002) a few weeks before the expiration of his term in hopes that his successor, fellow Republican John Cornyn, could gain seniority over other newly elected senators. However, Cornyn did not gain additional seniority due to a 1980 Rules Committee policy.

Ted Cruz

Senator from Texas

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are the senators currently representing Texas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Texas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Ector County, TX awarded 3,242 degrees. The student population of Ector County, TX in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 5,971 male students and 8,636 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ector County, TX are Hispanic or Latino (1,884 and 60.3%), White (888 and 28.4%), Black or African American (179 and 5.73%), and Two or More Races (56 and 1.79%).

The largest universities in Ector County, TX by number of degrees awarded are Odessa College (1,896 and 58.5%) and The University of Texas Permian Basin (1,346 and 41.5%).

The most popular majors in Ector County, TX are General Business Administration & Management (500 and 15.4%), General Studies (422 and 13%), and General Psychology (162 and 5%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $4,849 for in-state students and $11,416 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Ector County, TX, the percentage of applicants admitted was 84.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 46.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 14,607 (40.9% men and 59.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 14,607 students enrolled in Ector County, TX, 40.9% men and 59.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 8,749 records, of which 60.6% were women and 39.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
422 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
165 degrees awarded
Early Childhood Education & Teaching
110 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Ector County, TX was General Studies with 422 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Ector County, TX according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Odessa College
1,896 degrees awarded
The University of Texas Permian Basin
1,346 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Odessa College with 1,896 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,241 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ector County, TX, which is 0.62 times less than the 2,001 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 1,884 degrees mean that there were 2.12 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 888 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($4,849) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,726) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,118) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ector County, TX was $200,200 in 2024, which is 0.602 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $190,500 to $200,200, a 5.09% increase. The homeownership rate in Ector County, TX is 64.7%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Ector County, TX have an average commute time of 25 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ector County, TX is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ector County, TX. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.723%.

Housing

Property

$200,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,662

$41,753

Median Property Taxes

±$2,093

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Ector County, TX the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Ector County, TX compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

64.7%

Homeownership

2024

65.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64.7% of the housing units in Ector County, TX were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Ector County, TX compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$71,536

Median Household Income

± $3,707

64.6k

Number of Households

± 2,784

In 2024, the median household income of the 64.6k households in Ector County, TX grew to $71,536 from the previous year's value of $71,031.

The following chart displays the households in Ector County, TX distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Ector County, TX is from Texas.

0.475

2023 Wage GINI in Texas

0.476

2022 Wage GINI in Texas

In 2023, the income inequality in Texas was 0.475 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.208% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Texas was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Texas in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Texas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (83.1%)
Carpooled (11.4%)
Worked At Home (3.2%)

In 2024, 83.1% of workers in Ector County, TX drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.4%) and those who worked at home (3.2%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ector County, TX have a shorter commute time (25 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.72% of the workforce in Ector County, TX have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Ector County, TX compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Ector County, TX distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Ector County, TX have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ector County, TX. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.723%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

16.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ector County, TX (26.7k out of 162k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ector County, TX is Hispanic, followed by White and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 14.3% of the children was living in poverty in Ector County, TX. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 809 in Ector County, TX. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 143 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

77.9% of the population of Ector County, TX has health coverage, with 45.7% on employee plans, 12.8% on Medicaid, 7.45% on Medicare, 11.2% on non-group plans, and 0.72% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Ector County, TX see 1,751 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,751 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1915 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1769 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51% were men and 49% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,751 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Ector County, TX

Primary care physicians in Ector County, TX see an average of 1,751 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,751 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Ector County, TX in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 31.7% under 18 years, 24.6% between 18 and 34 years, 34% between 35 and 64 years, and 9.75% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51% were men and 49% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

22.1%

Uninsured

45.7%

Employer Coverage

12.8%

Medicaid

7.45%

Medicare

11.2%

Non-Group

0.72%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ector County, TX grew by 2.15% from 21.6% to 22.1%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Ector County, TX changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 71.7 in Ector County, TX.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Ector County, TX.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 40.3% in Ector County, TX.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Ector County, TX.