Odessa, Texas

Odessa is a sunny, happy, prosperous place to live – it has a warm, dry climate and 300 days of sunshine per year.

Located in the middle of the oil-rich Permian Basin, Odessa is the center for the oil and gas industry as well as the main shipping point for the surrounding area's livestock. It also has a variety of shopping malls and plazas to meet the needs of every resident.

The three local high schools are known for their skilled football teams; the local minor professional hockey team, the Odessa Jackalopes, is associated with the Edmonton Oilers. For those who follow the rodeo circuit, the Sand Hills Hereford and Quarter Horse Show and Rodeo is an annual event. And the famous Odessa Chuck Wagon Gang tours the world as ambassadors for the city.

For other cultured folk, Odessa is home to a replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theater – the Globe of the Great Southwest – along with the Permian Playhouse, the Art Institute for the Permian Basin, and the White-Pool House where theatrical events take place regularly. Those interested in American history can visit the country's only museum dedicated to the American presidency, and, for those who like corny civic claims to fame, there is Jack Ben Rabbit, the world's largest fiberglass hare that survived a kidnapping attempt to remain an attraction today.

Odessa follows the great traditions of Texan cooking, including barbecue and Tex-Mex. The city holds large Cinco de Mayo and Juneteenth festivals, to celebrate the cultural heritages of its Spanish and African American citizens. And to enjoy the warm, dry weather, there are plenty of grassy parks, walking trails, and golf courses to spend your time on and lots of friendly neighbors willing to join you.

See our 7 Jobs in Odessa, Texas