Odessa is a community in Buffalo County, Nebraska, home to about 138 people across 1.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 68861, and parts of 68845 are in Odessa too.
Homes sold for a median of $147 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
All in Odessa
Mostly Kearney; part is in Odessa
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Odessa. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Odessa’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Eppley Airfield (OMA)176 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Kearney Regional Airport (EAR)10 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lincoln, NE132 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Dallas, TX564 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Odessa; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Odessa had 132 residents in the 2020 census, up 2% since 2010.
It’s the 407th largest of 580 towns in Nebraska by population.
Buffalo County grew from 20,254 residents in 1900 to 50,084 in 2020.
Buffalo County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 25.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 22 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Kearney 4 Ne, NE weather station (9 miles away).
23,423 jobs at 1,777 businesses in Buffalo County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
1 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Odessa.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
|---|
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
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Shares ZIP codes with Kearney and Glenwood.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.