Situated deep in West Texas’ Permian Basin, Midland sits almost exactly halfway between Fort Worth and El Paso on Interstate 20—hence the town’s original name, the “mid-land” stop on the Texas & Pacific Railroad.
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Why are professionals and families relocating to Midland faster than ever? Because this “Tall City” delivers six‑figure career tracks, wide‑open skies, and ten‑minute commutes in one opportunity‑rich package. Anchored by the Permian Basin—the planet’s most productive oil field—Midland offers Fortune‑500 energy salaries while keeping the median home price around $330k and levying zero state income tax. Add 266 sun‑splashed days every year, and you’ll see why outdoor adventures and backyard barbecues never stop.

Weekends start with sunrise boardwalks through the I‑20 Wildlife Preserve, tee times at Green Tree Country Club, or RockHounds baseball beneath fiery West Texas sunsets. Downtown, craft breweries, chef‑driven eateries, and a forthcoming $150 million Omni hotel are redefining the skyline, while America’s first Air & Space Port launches aerospace dreams right next door.
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Midland’s story is also captivating audiences worldwide. The high‑school‑football classic Friday Night Lights (2004) turned the Permian Basin’s Friday‑night stadium lights into a global cultural reference, and Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ drama Landman, inspired by Texas Monthly’s Boomtown podcast, premiered in November 2024 and was renewed for Season 2 in March 2025, casting Billy Bob Thornton into the thick of Midland’s oil‑patch intrigue. While Hollywood naturally amplifies the drama, both productions spotlight the economic horsepower and tight‑knit community that make Midland such a compelling place to live.

Midland at a Glance

  • Demographics & Diversity
    • Population (2025): ≈ 142,000 inside city limits; 350,000 in the Midland–Odessa CSA
    • Median Age: 32 years
    • Ethnic Composition: ≈ 51 % White (non‑Hispanic) | 41 % Hispanic/Latino | 6 % Black/African American | 2 % Other/Mixed
    • Languages: Spanish widely spoken alongside English
  • Cost of Living & Housing
    • Median Home Value (Apr 2025): $327,671 (zillow.com)
    • Typical Rent (Jun 2025): $2,250 / mo for all unit types (zumper.com)
    • Overall Cost‑of‑Living Index: ≈ 96 (U.S.=100) with no state income tax; electricity and groceries track slightly below the national average
  • Awards & Accolades
    • Livability “2025 Top 100 Best Places to Live” list (livability.com)
    • Milken Institute “Best‑Performing Cities 2025” – Midland ranked a Tier‑1 metro for job, wage, and GDP growth (midlandtexas.gov)
    • U.S. News & World Report 2025 – Included in “Best Places to Live” index with a median commute of just 16 minutes (realestate.usnews.com)
    • Modern Healthcare “Best Places to Work in Healthcare 2024” – Midland Memorial Hospital honored nationally (mrt.com)
    • Arbor Day Foundation – Continuous Tree City USA designation since 1992, recognizing long‑term urban forestry commitment

Major Industries & Economic Drivers

Energy & Advanced Energy Services
  • The Permian Basin pumps 5.8 million barrels of oil per day—43 % of U.S. output—anchoring Midland’s economy.
  • Headquarters, regional offices, or key field operations for Pioneer Natural Resources, Diamondback Energy, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and Halliburton support tens of thousands of high‑skill jobs.
  • Permian Strategic Partnership (29 member companies) channels private capital into roads, schools, and health care, strengthening quality of life.
Aerospace & Spaceport Development
  • Midland International Air & Space Port is the first U.S. airport certified for both commercial aviation and spaceflight. A new 50‑acre Spaceport Business Park is projected to add 250 aerospace jobs by 2027. 
Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Midland Memorial Hospital’s $15 million surgical tower renovation (2024) and a long‑range $150 million facility master plan keep cutting‑edge care close to home. 
  • Regional partnerships with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center drive workforce pipelines in nursing and allied health.
Logistics & Manufacturing
  • Midland’s central U.S. location on I‑20 connects Dallas/Fort Worth (4 hours) and El Paso (4.5 hours), while the Midland–Odessa regional rail hub and Foreign‑Trade Zone streamline global trade.
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Key Economic Development Projects (2024–2025)
  • Beacon Project – $123 million state appropriation funds a 250‑acre healthcare and mixed‑use campus anchored by Beacon Behavioral Health Center and joint TTUHSC/UTPB research facilities; projected 1,200 jobs and 200 behavioral‑health beds by 2028. 
  • Omni Midland Hotel (formerly Hotel Santa Rita) – $150 million, 135‑room full‑service hotel with 8,000 sq ft event space and 800‑space garage—cornerstone of the Downtown Renaissance plan; groundbreaking set for 2025. 
  • Costco Regional Flagship – 180,000‑sq‑ft warehouse club and fueling station at SH 191/SH 158, the largest Costco in Texas; construction begins June 2025 with completion by August 2026. 
  • Interstate 20 Expansion – $222 million TxDOT project widening I‑20 from four to six lanes and converting frontage roads to one‑way traffic between CR 1250 and SH 349 (2025–2028) to boost freight capacity. 
  • STRATOS Direct Air Capture Plant (Occidental/1PointFive) – World’s largest DAC facility in Ector County capturing up to 500 k t CO₂ / year; EPA Class VI sequestration permits issued April 2025, start‑up late 2025. 
  • AST & Science Expansion & Starfighters Hypersonic Corridor – New satellite‑production facility and FAA‑approved high‑speed airspace corridor add 250 aerospace jobs and position Midland as a hypersonic R&D hub. 
  • ExxonMobil/XTO Office Consolidation – $10.4 million renovation of Pioneer’s former HQ to house 1,000 Permian asset employees, reinforcing corporate presence downtown.
  • Milestone Carbon Sequestration Hub – 10,000‑acre CCS site across Midland & Upton counties aims to begin operations in 2025, permanently storing CO₂ from regional emitters. 
  • Reset Energy Gas‑Processing Expansions – Engineering 200 MMcf/d cryogenic plant and 250 MMscf/d nitrogen‑rejection unit near Midland, expanding midstream capacity and adding engineering jobs. 


Things to do in Midland

Arts, Culture & History
  • Permian Basin Petroleum Museum – Interactive exhibits trace 230 million years of energy history, including the Chaparral race car gallery.
  • Museum of the Southwest – Art, science, and astronomy campus housed in a restored 1937 mansion with the Marian West & William Blanton Blakemore Planetarium.
  • George W. Bush Childhood Home – Step inside the 1950s residence of two U.S. presidents.
  • Midland Community Theatre – One of America’s largest volunteer theaters, staging 15 productions annually.

Outdoor & Family Fun
  • I‑20 Wildlife Preserve & Jenna Welch Nature Study Center – 100‑acre urban playa with boardwalks, bird blinds, and seasonal monarch migration. 
  • Scharbauer Sports Complex – Home to the Double‑A Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics affiliate) and Texas League fireworks nights.
  • CAF High Sky Wing Airshow & Airpower Museum – Vintage warbirds roar over the desert each autumn.

Dining & Nightlife
  • Farm‑to‑table West Texas beef at Wall Street Bar & Grill, award‑winning tacos at T &T Donut, and craft brews from Tall City Brewing Co. enliven the downtown corridor.
  • The Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center—15 minutes west on SH 191—hosts Broadway tours, the Midland‑Odessa Symphony, and touring comedians.

Education & Healthcare

K‑12 Public & Private Schools
  • Midland ISD serves 26,000 students across 40 campuses, with Gold Seal Academies in petroleum engineering, aviation, and fine arts; the district earned a “B” accountability rating for 2023. 
  • Greenwood ISD (east county) and Premier High School charter network offer alternative pathways.

Private & Faith-Based Schools
  • Midland Christian School – PK–12, 1,300 students, Church of Christ affiliation; college‑prep curriculum, 40+ athletics teams, and average class size 15:1. 
  • Trinity School of Midland – PK–12, 665 students, Episcopal; ISAS accredited.
  • Midland Classical Academy – 7–12, 192 students; classical, Socratic learning model with house system and TAPPS 2A athletics. 19:1 ratio; rolling admissions
  • Hillander School – PK‑6, 303 students; project‑based elementary program with STEM labs; student‑teacher ratio 12 : 1;
  • St. Ann's Catholic School – PK–8, 361 students; faith‑based STREAM curriculum and one‑to‑one devices in grades 3‑8. 
  • Holy Cross Catholic High School  – 9-12, 69 students; student-teacher ratio of 8-1
  • Midland Montessori School – PK–6, 148 students; American Montessori Society member with outdoor discovery classrooms. 
  • Grace Lutheran Early Childhood Program – PK–K, 112 students; faith‑based early literacy and STEAM centers. 
  • Founders Grove Classical Academy – Tuition‑free public charter opening fall 2026; will add one grade per year to become K‑12 by 2034

Higher Education
  • Midland College enrolls about 6,100 students and is advancing a $450 million bond proposal to add an Advanced Technology Complex and Health Sciences facility, preparing up to 10,000 learners for high‑demand careers.
  • University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) – Ranked #61 among Regional Universities West (U.S. News 2025) with top‑value engineering, business, and nursing programs. 

Healthcare Access
  • Midland Memorial Hospital – 474‑bed regional medical center; nationally honored by Modern Healthcare for workplace excellence. 
    • Level II trauma care and specialty institutes in cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics ensure big‑city medicine without big‑city traffic.

Districts & Neighborhoods

Midland’s housing menu is just as wide‑ranging as its skyline is wide‑open. Entry‑level three‑bedroom homes in family‑friendly enclaves such as Fairmont Park or Southwest Midland often list in the mid‑$250 k range—well below the city’s $327,671 average value. Move‑up buyers gravitate to newly built, four‑bedroom residences in master‑planned Legends Park and Grassland Estates, typically priced between $350 k and $450 k. At the upper end, golf‑course estates inside Green Tree Country Club carried a median listing price near $750 k in May 2025, while acreage properties north of town can crest $900 k. Renters enjoy similar variety: downtown Wall Street Loft studios hover around $1,700 per month, luxury four‑bedroom leases near the Spaceport average $2,800 – $3,200, and the metro‑wide median rent is $2,250. In short, Midland lets you right‑size your living space—without big‑city price tags.

Cost of Living & Housing
  • Median Home Value (Apr 2025): $327,671
  • Typical Rent (Jun 2025): $2,250 / mo for all unit types
  • Overall Cost‑of‑Living Index: ≈ 96 (U.S.=100) with no state income tax; electricity and groceries track slightly below the national average

Urban Core
  • Downtown & Centennial Plaza – New mixed‑use towers, loft apartments, Tall City Brewery, and First Friday Art Walks.
  • Garfield Historic District – Charming 1920s bungalows within walking distance of the Museum of the Southwest.

Suburban & Master‑Planned Areas
  • Grassland Estates – Established family neighborhood near top‑rated Barbara Fasken Elementary.
  • Green Tree Country Club – Golf‑course living, large lots, and private club amenities.
  • Fairmont Park & Heritage Oaks – Affordable ranch‑style homes with quick Loop 250 access.
  • Legend Park – New construction and neighborhood parks adjacent to Scharbauer Sports Complex.
Mackenzie Eason & Associates is a performance driven retained executive search firm, focused on delivering measurable results.  We are boutique by design – allowing us to eliminate the conflict issues of larger firms and engage in a more collaborative search process. Our partners enter into engagements selectively, limiting the number of searches at any given time in order to maintain the highest level of accountability to each client.  We employ a unique methodology, utilizing a highly customized and targeted approach to each search, and a follow through process that further ensures client satisfaction and increased placement success. We also know the importance of diversity to creating long-term strength for an organization, and at MEA, we are committed to delivering a more diverse range of candidates to reflect today’s increasingly inclusive workforce. ​​
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