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Elkhart vs Odessa

Metro-area medians — Elkhart-Goshen, IN Metro Area vs Odessa, TX Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Odessa comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 10 clearly-decided measures.

Elkhart is about 4% cheaper to live in, while Odessa households earn about 12% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Odessa.

Their widest everyday difference: Odessa has cleaner air on a typical day — a median AQI of 36 versus 45.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Elkhart, IN
$59,064
take-home / yr · 21% to tax
$65,390
real value after local prices
Odessa, TX
$61,314
take-home / yr · 18% to tax
$65,299
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Elkhart leaves you about $91/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Elkhart
Odessa
Livability (CityLedger)
40/100
48/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
90.3
93.9
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$77,356
$83,132
Median household income
$69,872
$78,058
Median rent
$1,047/mo
$1,337/mo
Median home value
$239,500
$214,500
Unemployment
4.5%
3.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher
22.1%
20.2%
Average commute
22.8 min
24.7 min
Air quality (median AQI)
45
36
Avg temperature
50°F
65°F

Choose Elkhart for

  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Median rent
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Average commute
Full Elkhart profile →

Choose Odessa for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Odessa profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Elkhart and Odessa on cost, income, size, and education.

Elkhart vs Longview→Elkhart vs Bowling Green→Elkhart vs Yuma→Odessa vs Jacksonville→Odessa vs El Centro→Odessa vs Yakima→

Elkhart vs Odessa — frequently asked

Is Elkhart cheaper than Odessa?
Elkhart is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 4% below Odessa's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Elkhart or Odessa?
Odessa has the higher median household income — $78,058 versus $69,872 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 12% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Elkhart or Odessa?
A paycheck stretches further in Odessa. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $83,132 there versus $77,356 in Elkhart.
Which has cheaper rent, Elkhart or Odessa?
Elkhart has cheaper rent — a median of $1,047/mo versus $1,337/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).