7 Assisted Living Facilities near Odessa, TX

Benefits and Drawbacks of Assisted Living in Odessa

• Odessa can get hot in summer, with average highs of 95 degrees Fahrenheit in August. This can pose an issue for heat-sensitive seniors, who might want to spend the worst of the heat indoors. Winters are mild, with an average 32 degrees in December. Odessa is semi-arid and gets only 14.5 inches of rain a year.
  
  
• Odessa's cost of living is somewhat cheaper than in other cities of similar size in the United States. Seniors who shop for their own groceries here pay around 11 percent less than they do elsewhere in America, while health care costs are roughly 3 percent lower in Odessa.
  
  
• Texas charges no income tax on wages, pensions or other retirement income, making it one of just nine states in the union that gets by without taxing income. State funds come instead from a sales tax that runs between 6.25 and 8.25 percent, which can cut into the shopping budget of seniors on fixed incomes, and a 20 cent gas tax on drivers.
  
  
• Crime rates are about one-third higher than the national median in Odessa. Most of this is thefts, and the rate has been in steep decline since the highs of 2015.
  
  
• The Midland Odessa Urban Transit District operates EZ-Rider, the local public transportation authority in Odessa. Discount fares are available for riders over age 60 on EZ-Rider's fixed-schedule bus routes, and paratransit service is available if scheduled in advance.
  
  
• The Odessa area is home to world-class medical facilities, including Odessa Regional Medical Center, in the event of medical emergencies or illness.