Census figures have fallen far below what early predictions were for both Odessa and Ector County.
Odessa’s population is getting larger and browner, with 57.6 percent of the community’s 114,428 residents identifying as Hispanic/Latino, recently released 2020 U.S. Census Bureau figures show.
Odessa Chamber of Commerce’s Director of Economic Development Wesley Burnett, said the city census numbers surprised him.
“I’d say we were definitely under-counted,” Burnett said. “Whether it was COVID, the count, or people just didn’t participate, it’s clear we’re under-represented.
“New housing has continued to grow, our economy has remained steady. The growth has been here, regardless of what the census numbers say.
The latest census numbers show that 65,911 Hispanic/Latino residents live in Odessa, a 7 percent increase over 2010, when 50,601 people of Hispanic/Latino descent were recorded. There were 37,753 Hispanics/Latinos counted during the 2000 U.S. Census.
“This isn’t really a surprise; for the last 20 years we’ve seen this trend – the Latino population continues to grow,” said Angel Garcia, executive partner of BAM, a business consulting firm based in Odessa and Midland. “We’re a country that’s becoming more diverse – the Permian Basin is a great example of this.”
The growing Latino population is playing a strong economic factor in the success of communities like Odessa, Garcia said. The population growth increases the demand for housing, provides businesses with a stronger workforce, and puts more money back into the local economy, Garcia added.
Recent data compiled by Odessa’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce shows more than half of all businesses in Odessa are Hispanic/Latino-owned.
“Diversity is a good thing,” Garcia said. “It gives people more choices and creates more competition.”
Overall, Odessa’s population grew by 14,488 people during the past decade for a current total of 114,428 residents.
Odessa’s white population – not Hispanic or Latino – accounts for 33.8 percent of the city’s population, or 38,676.6. The city’s African American population increased slightly from 5,736 residents, or 5.74 percent to 6,866, or 6 percent; Asian Americans increased from 1,115 people, or 1.12 percent to 1,716, or 1.5 percent.
The American Indian and Alaska native population decreased from 960 people, or .96 percent to 68, or .6 percent. Other population numbers included people of two or more races, which were not identified by the census.
The city does continue to face challenges, Burnett said. Unemployment remains at 8 percent and the oil and gas industry has taken longer to “get back on its feet,” Burnett said.
“I’m more concerned about being under-represented by the census because that is what’s used to qualify the city for funding dollars and support programs,” Burnett said.
Burnett said he believes Odessa’s true population is closer to the 123,334 number initially estimated by the census prior to the official count.
The 2020 census details that 52.2 percent of Odessa residents are between the ages of 19 and 64; with persons between 6 and 18 representing 28.9 percent. Residents 65 years and older accounted for 10.1 percent and children 5 years and younger, 8.8 percent.
The number of females living in Odessa dipped slightly, with females accounting for 50.3 percent of the current population, verses 51.03 percent in 2010.
The 2020 census noted that 59.7 percent of Odessans owned their own homes from 2015-19, with the median value of those homes averaging $151,500. The median monthly mortgage payment was $1,469. The median gross rent was $1,091.
There were a total of 40,827 households recorded from 2015-19 with an average of 2.89 people living in each household. About 41.6 percent of those household residents over the age of 5 spoke another language other than English in the home.
Overall, 90.2 percent of households in Odessa own a computer, and 83.7 percent have a broadband internet subscription.
Education-wise, 79.8 percent of Odessans have a high school education or higher, 4 percent lower than the state-wide average, and 9 percent lower than the national average. About 18.5 percent of Odessa residents ages 25 or older have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to the state-wide average of 29.9 percent and 32.1 percent nationwide.
According to the census, 8.1 percent of Odessa residents under the age of 65 have a disability. One out of every five residents under the age of 65 in Odessa lacks health insurance, about 1 percent less than the state average, and 10.5 percent below the national average.
Odessa’s median household income in 2019 dollars is $63,847, according to census statistics for income and poverty. Per capital income during the past 12 months in 2019 dollars was $30,470. Approximately 11.1 percent of Odessans live in poverty, or 3.6 percent lower than the state average.
Census numbers for Ector County mirror the city.
Ector County’s population increased by 21.2 percent during the past decade, with a current population recorded as 137,136 people. That’s nearly 30,000 less than early census estimates that predicted the county’s population would be 166,223. About 62.6 percent of the county’s population is of Hispanic/Latino descent.
