Considering El Paso

688,575

Population

Sunny Days: 302

100100 Affordability

87100 Schools

60100 Diversity

95100 Safety

See all the facts!

LookyLOO Review of El Paso

It's the Tex-Mex

There are several things to enjoy about El Paso, especially the majestic Franklin Mountains State Park, the largest state park in an urban setting in the country. Being on the border though, and having a sister city in Juarez Mexico, has had an undeniable impact on the culture, diversity, food, and lifestyle of El Paso. Tex-Mex food was invented here but that’s just a single byproduct of a blurred cultural landscape that makes El Paso like no other place. The food scene makes it obvious with the amazing Tex-Mex, classic Mexican, BBQ, and other cross-cultural fine dining. The fresh ingredients that move back and forth across the border feed this amazing food scene, and the culture and vibe of the city make it clear how big an influence it is to be on the border.

The biggest complaint about El Paso is how difficult it can be to find work. If you go there with a job or you’re going to be working remotely then you’re set. If you lose your job and need to work locally it can be tough.

Lifestyle

El Paso is heavily influenced in language, food, and overall culture by being on the border of Mexico. If you’re game for that vibe you’ll love it here. It is extremely casual with little fancy activities but TONS of bars and great inexpensive restaurants to enjoy on nights out.
You’re also surrounded by vast beautiful terrain that means a good chunk of your time can/will be spent getting out doors for hiking and camping in the mountains, state and national parks, and canyons all around El Paso.

If you're interested in what happens in El Paso area during the year check out the calendar of events.

Worklife

This is a really interesting and possibly emerging aspect of El Paso. The local economy is rough for finding a job. High-end knowledge work is hard to come by. However, it has the lowest cost of living of any major city in the country. Which means that people who can work remotely and are attracted to a low cost city with great outdoor lifestyle are heading to El Paso. At present that is the most powerful work culture draw to El Paso. Great outdoor culture, casual but fun lifestyle, and extremely low cost of living. What a draw for a wfh’er.

Schools

El Paso ISD comes in with a "B+" ranking on niche.com. In particular, the district scores high for extracurriculars/clubs and College Prep.

The Northwest corner of the district scores highest but there are A grade schools in the Northeast and the southern sides of the city. Particular winners include:
-Silva Health Magnet School - the #1 ranked school in the city, it's a renowned magnet school that scores an "A+" on niche.com. -Transmountain Early College High School - the #1 niche standout high school in El Palo, and scores an "A" on niche.com**.

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Cost Of Living

El Paso has the lowest cost of living of any major city in the country. It also has a first time homebuyer program available through the city. If you’re getting started, particularly with a young family and would love an inexpensive and supported path to homeownership this is a great city. If you’re empty-nesting or retiring and want to maximize your bucks El Paso also fits the bill.

Reviews of El Paso from Locals

spiccyudon
Lived in El Paso
Updated 2y ago
✭✭✭✭

Hey there, I lived in EP most of my life before leaving for college. I've been gone for ~6 years now and finally moving back. Here's my perspective. El Paso is honestly expanding a ton in terms of things to do and more diversity (at least in the food spots, used to not be a single ramen joint now they're everywhere). When I go back to visit my friends always have something new to show me. I'm in Austin currently and while I love how much Austin has going for it I've been here for 2 years and still feel like I'm in a brand new city. It gets kinda lonely actually. Plus everything is so expensive it's hard to get all you can out of living here unless you have plenty of money to spend.

Now, if you're the kind of person who needs to be surrounded by greenery to be happy this probably isn't your city. The one thing I know I'm going to really miss is trees/bodies of water. There are a lot of outdoorsy things to do, but it's desert mountain outdoors with almost no shade. If you want to go for a long walk you really have to do it right at sunset unless you wanna be miserable. You'll also blow through lotion/moisturizer twice as fast and you will need to drink a little more water than you're used to. The desert does have a unique beauty to it though, our mountain turns this gorgeous bright red at sundown and we get the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. And the few times it does rain that smell is incredible. Cloudcroft/Ruidoso are also a few hours away of you need that forest air.

My main reason for moving back is cost of living. You really can get a house down there for an actually reasonable price and I'm finding studios for $500 a month, so it's a good landing spot if you need to get your finances together. That's how I'm doing it. I don't plan to settle in El Paso forever but I do plan to be there for 4-5 years while I get on my feet. The people are great, it's very safe, and it's cheap. The isolation, the desert heat, and the fact that jobs can be harder to find are probably the biggest cons, but I wouldn't listen too much to people saying there's nothing to do or it's boring.

To hear reviews from more locals check out: The Reviews.