WEST, Texas — All across West Texas, the age demographic has been getting younger and younger. That's because more younger people and families have been making the trip out to the Permian Basin.
One of the most intriguing factors that bring out the younger people to West Texas: different job opportunities that are available to everyone.
“There’s a real demand for jobs and jobs that tend to be high paying," Jeff Russel, the vice president of the Odessa Development Corporation, said. "A lot of the jobs don’t require college degrees, but yet, you get college level salaries for them.”
However, just because jobs within the oil and gas industry are out there for people with a college degree, there are still different opportunities for people who went to college and got their degrees.
The best part is, those jobs don't even require getting one's hands dirty.
“Having a job in the oilfield doesn’t exactly mean working on a rig and getting greasy," Russell said. "There’s so much technology, like computer programming, CNC work, all of these things that require a high level of technical skill that are kind of clean jobs.”
But, while these families may be moving out to West Texas, they still need a reason to stay here.
The jobs may be here and the money might be good, but they still need to raise their families.
It's why both Midland and Odessa are focusing on keeping those families.
“Quality of life is a big part of it. One of the major initiatives of the current Odessa City Council has to do with the sports complex that’s being projected," Russel said. "So it’s all those things like that, the wildcatter trail is another good example, things that build on the quality of life here."