Ector County, TX

County

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2023 Population

163,206

0.558% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Cornyn

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Cruz

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

31.3

0.968% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

15.3%

3.24% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$71,031

0.659% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$190,500

8.49% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

75,536

0.992% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Ector County, TX had a population of 163k people with a median age of 31.3 and a median household income of $71,031. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Ector County, TX grew from 162,300 to 163,206, a 0.558% increase and its median household income grew from $70,566 to $71,031, a 0.659% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Ector County, TX are White (Non-Hispanic) (30%), White (Hispanic) (23.3%), Other (Hispanic) (19%), Two+ (Hispanic) (18.8%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.69%).

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.

89.8% of the residents in Ector County, TX are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Ector County, TX are Odessa College (1,781 degrees awarded in 2022) and The University of Texas Permian Basin (1,540 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Ector County, TX was $190,500, and the homeownership rate was 64.4%.

Most people in Ector County, TX drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.3 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 163k people, from which 89.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 16.6% of Ector County, TX residents were born outside of the country (27k people).

In 2023, there were 1.29 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (49k people) in Ector County, TX than any other race or ethnicity. There were 38.1k White (Hispanic) and 31.1k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

89.8%

2023 Citizenship

90%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 89.8% of Ector County, TX residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Ector County, TX was 90%, 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)
49k ± 199
White (Hispanic)
38.1k ± 2.81k
Other (Hispanic)
31.1k ± 2.39k

62.3%

Hispanic Population

102k people

62.3% of the people in Ector County, TX are hispanic (102k people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
2,430,315 ± 36,649 people
India
305,649 ± 13,502 people
El Salvador
224,600 ± 11,591 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Texas was Mexico, the natal country of 2,430,315 Texas residents, followed by India with 305,649 and El Salvador with 224,600.

Foreign-Born Population

16.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

27k people

16%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

25.9k people

As of 2023, 16.6% of Ector County, TX residents (27k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Ector County, TX was 16%, 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-)
2,014 ± 527
Vietnam
1,424 ± 309
Gulf War (1990s)
894 ± 324

Ector County, TX has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.41 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Ector County, TX employs 75.5k people. The largest industries in Ector County, TX are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (10,062 people), Retail Trade (9,513 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (7,927 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($93,424), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($80,303), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($72,753).

Males in Texas have an average income that is 1.38 times higher than the average income of females, which is $58,213. The income inequality in Texas (measured using the Gini index) is 0.476, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

75.5k

2023 Value

± 3,163

0.992%

1 Year growth

± 5.73%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Ector County, TX grew at a rate of 0.992%, from 74.8k employees to 75.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ector County, TX, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (8,896 people), Sales & Related Occupations (8,304 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,163 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 false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

75.5k

2023 Value

± 3,163

0.992%

1 Year growth

± 5.73%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Ector County, TX grew at a rate of 0.992%, from 74.8k employees to 75.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ector County, TX, are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (10,062 people), Retail Trade (9,513 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (7,927 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

$58,986

Median earning men ± $1,202

$37,429

Median earning women ± $2,637

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($74,996), Manufacturing ($61,989), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($61,783).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Construction ($66,705), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($54,167), and Public Administration ($47,486).

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.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or 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 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Ector County, TX went to Donald J. Trump with 73.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (25.5%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.96%).

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

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (73.3%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (25.5%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.96%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Ector County, TX went to Donald J. Trump with 73.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (25.5%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.96%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Ector County, TX for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Texas

Texas is currently represented by 38 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Texas have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Ector County, TX awarded 3,321 degrees. The student population of Ector County, TX in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 5,519 male students and 8,324 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ector County, TX are Hispanic or Latino (1,669 and 51.4%), followed by White (1,153 and 35.5%), Black or African American (188 and 5.78%), and Unknown (106 and 3.26%).

The largest universities in Ector County, TX by number of degrees awarded are Odessa College (1,781 and 53.6%) and The University of Texas Permian Basin (1,540 and 46.4%).

The most popular majors in Ector County, TX are General Business Administration & Management (528 and 15.9%), General Studies (446 and 13.4%), and General Psychology (157 and 4.73%).

The median tuition cost in Ector County, TX 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 2022 in Ector County, TX, the percentage of applicants admitted was 94.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 48.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 13,843 (39.9% men and 60.1% 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 2022 there were 13,843 students enrolled in Ector County, TX, 39.9% men and 60.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 8,201 records, of which 61.9% were women and 38.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
446 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
132 degrees awarded
Early Childhood Education & Teaching
79 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Ector County, TX was General Studies with 446 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
1,781 degrees awarded
The University of Texas Permian Basin
1,540 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Odessa College with 1,781 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 1,195 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ector County, TX, which is 0.562 times less than the 2,126 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 1,669 degrees mean that there were 1.45 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 1,153 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 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,605) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,103) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 1.59% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.53% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (5.7M), Some college (4.97M), and Bachelors Degree (4.2M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ector County, TX was $190,500 in 2023, which is 0.628 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $175,600 to $190,500, a 8.49% increase. The homeownership rate in Ector County, TX is 64.4%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Ector County, TX have an average commute time of 25.3 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.

Median household income in Ector County, TX is $71,031. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Ector County, TX was Census Tract 29 with a value of $124,662, followed by Census Tract 25.02 and Census Tract 25.01, with respective values of $111,341 and $109,024.

In 2023, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ector County, TX. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.47%.

Housing

Property

$190,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$8,396

$40,217

Median Property Taxes

±$1,990

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

64.4%

Homeownership

2023

67.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 64.4% of the housing units in Ector County, TX were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 64.9%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 29
Census Tract 25.02
Census Tract 25.01

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Ector County, TX was Census Tract 29 with a value of $124,662, followed by Census Tract 25.02 and Census Tract 25.01, with respective values of $111,341 and $109,024.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Ector County, TX colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$71,031

Median Household Income

± $3,603

62.4k

Number of Households

± 2,816

In 2023, the median household income of the 62.4k households in Ector County, TX grew to $71,031 from the previous year's value of $70,566.

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.

0.476

2022 Wage GINI in Texas

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Texas

In 2022, the income inequality in Texas was 0.476 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0231% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Texas was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (82.4%)
Carpooled (11.3%)
Worked At Home (3.62%)

In 2023, 82.4% of workers in Ector County, TX drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.3%) and those who worked at home (3.62%).

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

25.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ector County, TX have a shorter commute time (25.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 5.16% 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 2023, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ector County, TX. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.47%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

15.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ector County, TX (24.6k out of 161k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males < 5.

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 2023, 22% of the children was living in poverty in Ector County, TX. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 0.9%.

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.

Health

78.4% of the population of Ector County, TX has health coverage, with 47.7% on employee plans, 12.3% on Medicaid, 7.33% on Medicare, 10.6% on non-group plans, and 0.492% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Ector County, TX see 1660 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.13% decrease from the previous year (1679 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1989 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2039 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.9% were men and 49.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,660 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Ector County, TX

Primary care physicians in Ector County, TX see an average of 1,660 patients per year. This represents a 1.13% decrease from the previous year (1,679 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 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 31.6% under 18 years, 24.6% between 18 and 34 years, 34.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 9.71% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.9% were men and 49.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

21.6%

Uninsured

47.7%

Employer Coverage

12.3%

Medicaid

7.33%

Medicare

10.6%

Non-Group

0.492%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ector County, TX declined by 0.806% from 21.8% to 21.6%.

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 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 66.8 in Ector County, TX.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 39.6% in Ector County, TX.

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