El Paso, TX
Census place 4824000 · pop 680,130
A border city on the Rio Grande forming a metroplex with Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, just across the river.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
27.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
63 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
67 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
2.04% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
33.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
18.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$59,745 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
94/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
89.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
60.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
28.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
33.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
12.2% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,513/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$184,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Not measured for El Paso: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is El Paso, TX a good place to live?
- By the numbers, El Paso scores 39/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is uninsured adults. Texas overall ranks #38 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is El Paso, TX expensive to live in?
- El Paso has a median home value of $184,500 and typical rent around $1,513/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in El Paso, TX?
- Its weakest measured area is uninsured adults (27.9%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is El Paso, TX best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($184,500) — 75/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: A border city on the Rio Grande forming a metroplex with Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, just across the river.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.