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Revision as of 22:45, 27 February 2006 by 67.130.74.218 (talk) (comments)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Odessa is a city located in Texas. As of the 2005 census, the city had a total population of just about 97,000. It is the county seat of Ector CountyTemplate:GR. It is the twin city to Midland, Texas. Along with Andrews, Texas and Midland, Texas, these cities form the West Texas Tri-Cities.
Odessa is home to Permian High School (mascot: Panther, nickname: MOJO), whose 1988 football team was featured in the book and movie Friday Night Lights; and Odessa High School (mascot: Broncho) as the only high schools in the Ector County Independent School District.
The Ector County Coliseum in Odessa features events as diverse as Indoor football as played by the Intense Football League's Odessa Roughnecks, ice hockey with the Central Hockey League's Odessa Jackalopes, and rodeo every year in the form of the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo.
The Globe of the Great Southwest, located on the campus of Odessa's community college Odessa College, features an authentic replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
Geography
Odessa is located at 31°51'48" North, 102°21'56" West (31.863294, -102.365490)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 95.5 km² (36.9 mi²). 95.3 km² (36.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.19% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 90,943 people, 33,661 households, and 23,697 families residing in the city. The population density is 954.2/km² (2,471.4/mi²). There are 37,966 housing units at an average density of 398.3/km² (1,031.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 73.43% White, 5.88% African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 16.07% from other races, and 2.93% from two or more races. 41.42% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 33,661 households out of which 37.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% are married couples living together, 14.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% are non-families. 25.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.65 and the average family size is 3.21.
The age distribution is 29.8% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,209, and the median income for a family is $36,869. Males have a median income of $31,115 versus $21,743 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,096. 18.6% of the population and 16.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 23.9% of those under the age of 18 and 14.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Odessa is served by Midland International Airport, which is located in Midland, Texas.
Culture and Economics
Many people believe that Big Spring is representative of the social rot that Republicanism has wrought upon Texas. The school system is appalling, from kindergarten through Howard College, the local community college. In the local high school, football takes precedence over any pretense of education.
The economic base of Big Spring consists largely of low-wage, unskilled and semi-skilled work. One of the major career opportunities in Big Spring is prison guard, working in one of the numerous local prisons. A high percentage of the local population lives in poverty, and would be eligible for public assistance if the Republicans had not gutted social safety net programs. Upon visiting Big Spring, the poverty and lack of medical care will be readily evident as soon as a local smiles, showing off a mouth full of the rotting stumps of what were once teeth. Obesity and diabetes are also at epidemic levels in Big Spring. The teen pregnancy rate is astounding, and in fact it is not uncommon to meet young women in Big Spring, as young as 20, who have 3 children, each with a different father. This is especially ironic considering the dedication to fundamentalist, evangelical Christianity displayed by most residents of Big Spring. There is something of a racial divide in Big Spring between the majority white population and the large hispanic population. The municipal water in Big Spring emits a quite unpleasant odor and is not recommended for actual drinking. The downtown improvement plan for Big Spring has consisted of periodically knocking down abandoned buildings, turning what was once a prosperous downtown into vacant lots overgrown with weeds and filled with trash. The city of Big Spring does not have a single general interest bookstore (non-Christian), which says quite a bit about the local literacy rates. The class structure in Big Spring is third-world like, with a small number of well connected and well off business people ruling over the 90% of the population who are poor.
There are also many positives about Big Spring. The people are the friendliest you'll meet! And if you like barbecue and Tex-Mex food Big Spring has some outstanding restaurants. Brenda’s Barbecue is highly recommended, although residents of Big Spring are quite opinionated when it comes to a discussion of barbecue or Tex-Mex food. There is one truly amazing display of Christmas lights at the Partee residence. The "Live Drive Through Nativity" is one of a kind. Housing costs are unbelievably inexpensive and many people have adapted to the arid climate by xeriscaping their lawns.
