Odessa vs Temple
The short version
- Temple is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Odessa area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $223,100 in Odessa and $239,000 in Temple.
- Households earn more in Odessa ($73,472 vs $68,204 median).
- Temple is growing faster: +19.7% since 2020 vs +7.2%.
Side by side
| Odessa, TX | Temple, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 122,707 | 98,412 |
| Growth since 2020 | +7.2% | +19.7% |
| People per square mile | 2,358 | 1,347 |
| Median age | 31.1 | 33.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,472 | $68,204 |
| Median home value | $223,100 | $239,000 |
| Home value to income | 3.0× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,315 | $1,231 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.9 | 91.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 89.7 | 77.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $70,400 | $68,300 |
| Homeowners | 60% | 52% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.4 | 21.0 |
| Work from home | 3% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.9% | 6.6% |
| Poverty rate | 16.2% | 16% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 33° | 60° / 36° |
| July high / low | 96° / 73° | 95° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 14 in | 37 in |
| Snowfall per year | 4 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 115 | 118 |
| Nights below freezing | 58 | 33 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 82.8 | 91.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 72% | 66% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.1% | +1.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +24.8% | +39.3% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Odessa: March to April and October. Temple: March to April and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Odessa weather by month and Temple weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $70,400 in Odessa and $68,300 in Temple. Moving from Odessa to Temple, you would need about $72,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Odessa and Temple
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Odessa and Temple.
Which would you pick?
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