Top 5 Reasons Why Living in Midland, Texas is So Great

Coming from a large city, to a population the size of Midland, I thought would be a shock to my system. Where would I go for entertainment? Would everyone wave as I drove through the neighborhood (I know stereotypes, right?)? But after just a short period of time living in West Texas, I quickly realized the answer to “why would anyone move to Midland Texas?”

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From a Newbie's standpoint here are the top 5 benefits to living in Midland, Texas, and yes Odessa, you are included, I just happen to actually LIVE in Midland.

5. No more long commutes. EVERYTHING is ten minutes away! It is great. When my daily commute used to be 45 minutes one way, you never realize the amount of time you spend on the road and what you can accomplish when you get that time back every day.

4. It’s daylight until after 9pm! With Midland being almost the closest point west in the Central Time Zone, the sun is out so much longer than I am used to. This is great, as long as you don’t have kids you are trying to put to sleep! Not to mention, in the winter, it isn’t dark by 4pm, which is another benefit to being this far west! So, driving home in the dark doesn’t happen in Midland. That is amazing.

3. Low humidity has to be on this list. Not only are my sweat glands thankful for this when temperatures can reach 116, but my hair styles LOVE it! I have always heard about “dry heat” but not until moving here did I fully understand the meaning. Between the low humidity and the breeze that constantly blows it really is a pleasant change. Now if we could just figure out how to knock those dust storms down!

2. The hourly wages, especially for parttime positions, are incredible. I understand Midland’s cost of living is higher, due to the oil field, but I also know that when you can earn $18 at What A Burger, I would have loved to have my first job here! And it’s not just the wages, but the availability of the positions. It seems there is always someone looking to hire. So, if you want to earn money, there is nothing stopping you.

1. The compassionate people. I know that the area has grown considerably with the boom of the oil field. And the people originally from Midland/Odessa may not love everyone that has shown up on their doorstep. But the “small town feel” you get in Midland, especially from the locals, is overwhelming. I am pretty certain that if I was pulled off to the side of the road with a flat tire, someone would stop to help. To be honest, there is still a part of me that instinctively wants to dial 911 when a random stranger pulls up to assist. But, the longer I am here, the more at ease I become. The more Midland/Odessa feels like home.