Moving to Odessa: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Odessa means moving to a real, small, exceptionally well-preserved 18th-century historic town on the Appoquinimink River, genuinely defined by its colonial-era architecture and preservation history.
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Learn moreA real 18th-century grain-port history
Odessa was known as Cantwell's Bridge and functioned as a genuinely busy grain shipping port until a mid-1850s railroad through Middletown diverted business away, preserving the town's colonial-era core (base record).
A precise National Historic Landmark distinction
The broader Odessa Historic District sits on the National Register of Historic Places; the Corbit-Sharp House (1772-74) specifically carries the higher National Historic Landmark designation -- a real, precise distinction (base record).
Delaware's real 0% sales tax applies statewide
Odessa residents pay Delaware's statewide 0% sales tax and a favorable New Castle County property tax rate (base record).
A genuinely older population
Odessa's median age ran 43.2 years, with approximately 25.5% of residents 65+, both above national comparison figures (base record).
Key takeaways
- Odessa's colonial-era core survived largely undeveloped after an 1850s railroad diversion ended its shipping-port era.
- The Corbit-Sharp House specifically holds National Historic Landmark status; the broader district is National Register-listed.
- Delaware's real, flat 0% sales tax applies in Odessa as statewide.
- Odessa's population skews genuinely older than national norms.
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