Moving to Midland means joining a city that punches far above its size. With about 132,500 residents at the 2020 census, it is the administrative heart of the Permian Basin, one of the most productive oil regions in the world, and it still keeps a small-town warmth. This checklist covers what newcomers most often want to know before the moving truck arrives.
Know the lay of the land
Midland was founded in 1881 as Midway Station, a water stop on the Texas and Pacific Railway line sitting midway between Fort Worth and El Paso. It became Midland a few years later, then grew into the oil town we know today after the Santa Rita No. 1 well blew in southeast of the city in 1923. Downtown's high-rises, built with oil money, rise abruptly from flat plains, which is why the city earned its nickname, the Tall City.
Your sister city, Odessa, sits about 20 miles west. Together the Midland-Odessa metro anchors the Permian Basin, so you will meet plenty of neighbors whose work is tied to the energy industry, along with educators, healthcare workers, and small-business owners.
Pack for West Texas weather
Expect hot, dry summers with intense sun and pleasantly mild winters with the occasional freeze. The air is arid, so evenings cool off fast even in July. Keep a few layers handy for spring winds and the rare dust storm, and know that summer afternoons are best spent at the pool, the ballpark or indoors.
Homes here are built for the climate: check window efficiency, insulation and sprinkler systems when you tour, and ask about backup power if outages worry you during storm season.
Think about schools and neighborhoods before you look
Midland's public schools are served by Midland ISD, and private and parochial options exist as well. Your school preferences should shape your house hunt as much as your budget, so start with the neighborhoods that feed the schools you want.
On the west side, newer builds in Trinity and Grassland Estates attract families who want modern floor plans and quick highway access. On the north side, established country-club communities like Green Tree, Saddle Club and Polo Park offer mature trees, bigger lots and a settled feel. You can browse our neighborhood guides to compare them side by side.
Get plugged in locally
Midland is an easy city to love once you know where things happen. Catch a Midland RockHounds double-A baseball game at Momentum Bank Ballpark from April through August, explore the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum and the Museum of the Southwest, hike the trails at Sibley Nature Center, and mark your calendar for community traditions like the Celebration of the Arts and the Mex-Tex Family Fiesta.
Our things to do and events guides keep a running list, and they are updated by a local who actually lives here.
The bottom line
Take your time seeing the city. Midland rewards the patient look: drive the neighborhoods at different hours, catch a RockHounds game, and talk to a local agent who knows every street. That is where I come in.
Written by a local
Alli Moore
Wife, mom to two boys and a Fathom Realty broker associate serving Midland and the Permian Basin. Alli writes these guides between showings, from the streets she actually lives on.
