Property Makler
Advanced analytics for residential real estate investing

El Paso, TX housing market

Housing market indicators

Indicator	2022	2023	2024	2025*	2022	2023	2024	YTD
Median Listing Price per Square Feet	$155	$162	$166	$167	14%	4.5%	2.5%	0.6%
Active Listing Count	1,884	2,330	2,565	3,012	84.3%	23.7%	10.1%	17.4%
Median Days on Market	68	74	76	74	4.6%	8.8%	2.7%	-2.6%
Share of listings with price increase	6.8%	3.3%	3.3%	2.5%
Share of listings with price decrease	7.9%	10.4%	10.4%	10.9%

* last available value

Note: 12M MA - 12 months moving average, Permits - New Private Housing Structures Authorized by Building Permits. Source: FRED

The El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes El Paso County and Hudspeth County in far West Texas, anchored by the city of El Paso along the U.S.-Mexico border.
2025 metro population approximately 872,000-996,000, with city of El Paso at 678,760-681,723.
Key geographic areas: Central urban core (downtown El Paso), East Side (suburban expansion), West Side (affluent neighborhoods), Upper Valley (Mission Trails area), Far East (Horizon, Socorro), and rural Hudspeth County.
Land area spans 5,584 square miles, density 156 people per square mile overall, higher in city at 2,624 per square mile.
Median age 32.9-35 years, young workforce with 61% aged 18-64.

Area	City/Town	Population	Density	Income	Quality of Schools	Crime Level	Property Tax (%)	Comments
Central	El Paso (core)	678,760	High (2,624/sq mi)	Low ($58,734 median HH)	Mixed (GreatSchools 4-8/10)	Moderate-high	2.1-2.5%	Urban density, border trade hub, older housing stock
West Side	El Paso West	~150,000 (est.)	Medium	High ($80,000+ median HH)	High (GreatSchools 7-10/10)	Low	2.1-2.5%	Affluent, family-oriented, proximity to Franklin Mountains
East Side	El Paso East	~120,000 (est.)	Medium-high	Medium ($60,000 median HH)	Average (GreatSchools 5-8/10)	Moderate	2.1-2.5%	Growing suburbs, new developments, industrial jobs
Upper Valley	Horizon/Socorro	62,000 (combined)	Low-medium	Medium-low ($50,000 median HH)	Mixed (GreatSchools 4-7/10)	Low-moderate	2.1-2.5%	Rural-suburban mix, agricultural roots, border proximity
Far East	Clint/Anthony	~10,000 (est.)	Low	Low ($45,000 median HH)	Below average (GreatSchools 3-6/10)	Moderate	2.1-2.5%	Sparse development, farming communities
Rural	Hudspeth County (Sierra Blanca)	3,000	Very low (<5/sq mi)	Low ($40,000 median HH)	Low (GreatSchools 2-5/10)	Low	1.8-2.2%	Remote, minimal services, prison economy

To view all table columns, please open this table on a laptop or desktop screen.

Median household income $58,734 citywide, lower than Texas average; metro per capita income ~$28,000.
83% Hispanic population, 81% in city, driving bilingual workforce (40% bilingual).
28-33% hold bachelor's degree or higher, below national average; strong high school graduation rates ~90%.
Young demographics support labor force: 30-34 age group dominant, median age 34.1 city, 32.9 metro.
12% White non-Hispanic, 3% Black, 1% Asian; poverty rate ~18-20% metro-wide.

Government/military: Fort Bliss (largest employer, 40,000+ personnel), federal jobs drive stability.
Trade/logistics: Border with Ciudad Juarez, $100B+ annual binational trade, maquiladoras support manufacturing.
Healthcare/education: University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), Texas Tech Medical School, major hospitals.
Retail/services: Tourism, call centers leveraging bilingual skills.
Defense/aerospace: Growing with Fort Bliss expansion.
Declining: Traditional manufacturing, agriculture due to water scarcity.

Zoning openness: Moderate; city allows single-family and multifamily in suburbs, but historic districts restrict central changes.
Regulatory strictness: Average; permitting timelines 6-12 months, flood zone rules in Rio Grande areas slow builds.
Construction workforce cost: Low; abundant bilingual labor from Mexico, wages 20% below national average.
Land availability: High in East Side/Far East, low in West Side; water restrictions limit rural expansion.
New permits: ~3,000-4,000 units/year metro, focused on suburbs; inventory steady at 3-4 months supply.
Hurdles: Utility extensions costly in rural Hudspeth, environmental regs on desert habitats.

Migration: Net in-migration +1% annually metro, military relocations to Fort Bliss; out-migration from central city to suburbs.
Growing industries: Logistics/trade up 5% yearly from nearshoring; defense expansion adds 10,000 jobs since 2023.
Declining: Retail jobs flat, some manufacturing shifts; slow city population -0.07% since 2020.
Affordability attracts: Median home $250,000-$280,000, 25% below national; appeals to first-time buyers from CA/AZ.
Binational demand: Mexican buyers for investment, cross-border workers.

Affordability pressure: Prices up 5-7% yearly despite low starts; rents $1,200 median, straining low-income households.
Water scarcity: Rio Grande shortages limit new subdivisions, especially Upper Valley.
Border dynamics: Policy shifts affect trade jobs, migration; occasional crossings strain infrastructure.
Aging inventory: 40% homes pre-1980 in central areas, need upgrades; low turnover.
Labor shortages: Skilled trades lag despite cheap general labor; supply chain from Mexico volatile.
Crime perception: Urban areas deter families, though metro rates average.

Area	Appreciation Potential	Risk	Key Drivers
West Side	High	Low	Affluent demand, top schools, low crime, limited supply
East Side	High	Medium	Suburban growth, new jobs, construction boom, migration in
Central Core	Medium	High	Revitalization projects, urban renewal, but crime, old stock
Upper Valley	Medium	Medium-high	Affordable land, but water limits, border volatility
Far East/Rural	Low	High	Sparse pop growth, poor schools, isolation