OdessaNE
A town settled in 1876, now home to 138 people.
Is Odessa a good place to live?
Among 58 Nebraska towns, just one has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Odessa. Odessa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
138 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Odessa.
Natural hazards: high risk in Odessa, mostly hail
FEMA puts 42% of Odessa’s expected hazard losses down to hail, and 20% to strong winds. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 79% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Odessa after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2019.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Odessa has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
3.6% of Odessa residents live below the poverty line, below both Nebraska’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). The typical journey to work here is 25 minutes. The top destinations are Kearney (44%), Grand Island (7%) and Lincoln (4%). For half of commuters, work is under 10 miles away.
| Odessa | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Odessa’s year
In July, afternoons reach 88°; in January, nights fall to 14°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Odessa is
The share of adults in Odessa who feel lonely: 28%. A fifth of Odessa adults binge drink, against 19% in Nebraska’s towns and 16% across U.S. towns.
| Odessa | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 19% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 36% |
| What stands out | Odessa | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.4% | 12.4% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.6% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Odessa
Fort Kearny and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Odessa. Close and well known come first.
14 mi LandmarkFort Kearny
12 mi LandmarkGreat Platte River Road Archway Monument
21 mi MuseumPioneer Village
9 mi MuseumMuseum of Nebraska Art
26 mi MuseumHeartland Museum of Military Vehicles
40 mi MuseumRobert Henri MuseumPhoto credits
Fort Kearny: Hanyou23, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Great Platte River Road Archway Monument: MMarshall at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Pioneer Village: Rolf Blauert Dk4hb, Public domain · Museum of Nebraska Art: Ammodramus, Public domain · Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles: en:User:Cburnett, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Robert Henri Museum: Doncram, CC BY-SA 4.0
Moving to Odessa: who provides what
Odessa is unincorporated, so Buffalo County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
100% of working residents leave Odessa for work
Where Odessa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Odessa
About 0 of every 100 Odessa residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Questions about Odessa
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Odessa, NE a good place to live?
Odessa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Say something about Odessa.
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