Midland-Odessa Rent Hikes Hit Locals and Newcomers Alike

When I moved to Midland-Odessa from San Antonio in January 2025, I fully expected the rent to be considerably lower.  I was naive and figured since this was not the big city or some major metropolitan area, that I could score a place for dirt cheap.  I was wrong.  I couldn't have been more ignorantly wrong.

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Midland-Odessa's Rent Woes

Midland-Odessa's economy is deeply connected to the gas and oil industry.  When oil is over $100 a barrel, it's steak and lobster for everyone (figuratively).  All while the prices are lower, it's ramen and spam for lunch.  However, despite the current prices, the rent has gone up considerably in the region.

According to The Governing, prior to 2007, you could technically find some areas where you were paying under $600 a month.  Those numbers nearly doubled by 2014.  Fast forward to 2025, and that has likely tripled in some places, depending on the situation.

Rent Surging Is Affecting Local Tenants

Once upon a time in Midland-Odessa, if you wanted to save some money on housing, you could decide to live in Odessa, where the stereotype was that it had a lower cost of living.  Now, that is not always the case.  Business Insider had reported a steady increase as projected to be 17.7% higher in Midland and 13.2% in Odessa, versus previous years. It has gotten to the point where some families are having difficulty paying their rent in lieu of this.

Ultimately, this may be construed as a quiet housing crisis as rent seems to get higher and higher without affordable pay to combat it and other rising costs of living.