Fort Worth receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fort Worth
Odessa
Opportunity
60 · Top 42%
vs57 · Top 48%
Growth
77 · Top 7%
vs78 · Top 7%
Climate
67 · Bottom 38%
vs63 · Bottom 27%
Physical resilience
56 · Bottom 48%
vs52 · Bottom 45%
Housing affordability
80 · Bottom 49%
vs92 · Top 28%
Schools
37 · Bottom 32%
vs22 · Bottom 13%
Access
96 · Top 32%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 45%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Fort Worth | Odessa | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 963,194 | 115,322 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $79,507 | $73,472 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,724 | $38,171 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,737/sq mi | 2,216/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $303,000 | $223,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,509 | $1,315 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.0% | 59.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.0% | 19.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.1% | 16.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 10,867 | 1,191 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.3 | 10.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 4.0% | 32.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.3 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.6 | 31.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 341 | 33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.65 | 19.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 30.7% | 27.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 37.5% | 33.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 66.4% | 64.3% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Fort Worth
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Odessa
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Fort Worth
67
Your Score
64
Area Score
Odessa
65
Your Score
62
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Fort Worth, TX · Odessa, TX · How this is calculated: methodology