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El Paso neighborhoods by what they cost.
Twelve areas. Rent, schools, utilities and one New Mexico option.
El Paso is one of the cheapest big cities in Texas, but rent still ranges by almost $1,000 a month from one neighborhood to the next. Below are 12 areas across the city and its edges, from the Upper Valley to Socorro, sorted into budget tiers. Rent is RentCafe’s average across all unit sizes in large managed buildings, so treat it as a guide to how pricey an area is. We also cover the bills every El Paso household shares: El Paso Water’s 2026 increase, El Paso Electric’s new rates and Sun Metro fares. Santa Teresa, just over the line in New Mexico, is included with a warning: different state, different taxes.
Numbers last checked October 31, 2026Pick a budget tier
Tiers use the RentCafe all-unit average (as of Sep 30 to Oct 7, 2026). A 1-bedroom in El Paso averages $1,021 on RentCafe’s numbers, so a smaller unit in any tier will usually cost less than the figure shown.
All 12 areas
RentCafe’s El Paso list uses neighborhood names, not the city’s planning areas. Where an area has several listed neighborhoods, the row uses one and names it in brackets. El Paso has several school districts inside the city limits, so the district is not a given even within one part of town. Confirm the address with the El Paso Central Appraisal District.
| Area | Avg rent, all units | As of | Kind of place | Main school district | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,400 and up | |||||
| Northeast (figure is North Hills) | $1,745 | Sep 30, 2026 | City of El Paso, east of the Franklin Mountains | El Paso ISD | RentCafe |
| Upper Valley (figure is Borderland) | $1,740 | Sep 30, 2026 | City of El Paso, northwest along the Rio Grande | Canutillo ISD or El Paso ISD, by address | RentCafe |
| $1,100 to $1,400 | |||||
| Westside (figure is Mesa Hills) | $1,290 | Sep 30, 2026 | City of El Paso, west of the Franklin Mountains | El Paso ISD; far west in Canutillo ISD | RentCafe |
| East El Paso (figure is Vista Hills Park) | $1,151 | Sep 30, 2026 | City of El Paso, east of the airport | Ysleta, Socorro or El Paso ISD, by address | RentCafe |
| Under $1,100 | |||||
| Mission Valley–Lower Valley (figure is Ysleta) | $1,055 | Sep 30, 2026 | City of El Paso, southeast along the border | Ysleta ISD | RentCafe |
| Socorro | $999 | Oct 7, 2026 | Separate city, southeast of El Paso | Socorro ISD; some addresses in Clint ISD | RentCafe |
| Sunset Heights | $929 | Sep 30, 2026 | City of El Paso, just north of Downtown | El Paso ISD | RentCafe |
| No RentCafe average | |||||
| Kern Place | Not listed | – | City of El Paso, near UTEP | El Paso ISD | RentCafe (checked) |
| Central (incl. Downtown) | Not listed | – | City of El Paso, center | El Paso ISD | RentCafe (checked) |
| Fort Bliss area | Not listed | – | Army post and nearby city neighborhoods, northeast | El Paso ISD | RentCafe (checked) |
| Horizon City | n/a on RentCafe | Oct 3, 2026 | Separate city, far east | Clint ISD or Socorro ISD, by address | RentCafe |
| Santa Teresa, NM | n/a on RentCafe | Oct 13, 2026 | Unincorporated, Doña Ana County, New Mexico | Gadsden ISD (New Mexico) | RentCafe |
| About these numbers. RentCafe (Yardi Matrix) averages cover all unit sizes in large, professionally managed buildings, so a neighborhood with a few new complexes can read higher than its older housing would suggest. The city of El Paso average is $1,142, up from $1,102 a year earlier (Sep 30, 2026). For medians on new leases, see the El Paso page, which uses Apartment List. | |||||
The areas, briefly
$1,400 and up
Northeast ($1,745). North Hills tops RentCafe’s El Paso list, just ahead of Borderland. It isn’t typical of the Northeast, though: Castner Heights, also on that side of the mountains, averages $1,192. So the Northeast spans more than $500 a month depending on the neighborhood.
Upper Valley ($1,740). Borderland, in the Upper Valley, is the second-priciest neighborhood on the list. Parts of the Upper Valley are in Canutillo ISD, not El Paso ISD, which changes both the school and the school tax rate on your bill.
$1,100 to $1,400
Westside ($1,290). RentCafe lists several Westside neighborhoods close together: Mesa Hills $1,290, Coronado $1,248 and Upper Mesa Hills $1,175. The spread is small, so the Westside is one of the more predictable parts of town to budget for.
East El Paso ($1,151). Vista Hills Park sits almost exactly at the citywide average. Cielo Vista, closer to the center, is lower at $1,034. The east side is split among three school districts, so look up the address.
Under $1,100
Mission Valley–Lower Valley ($1,055). Ysleta, the historic heart of the Mission Valley, averages about $90 below the city as a whole. It is Ysleta ISD territory.
Socorro ($999). Socorro is its own city, with a 1-bedroom at $866 (Oct 7, 2026). RentCafe shows no year-over-year change. It is also the cheapest place on this page to buy: a $144,500 median home value.
Sunset Heights ($929). The historic neighborhood just north of Downtown is the only central area RentCafe lists, and it is one of the cheapest on the list. It averages about $210 below the citywide figure.
No RentCafe average
Kern Place and Central. RentCafe doesn’t list either, so we don’t print a number. Sunset Heights ($929) is the nearest listed central figure, and the citywide average is $1,142. Both are in El Paso ISD and pay the City of El Paso rate.
Fort Bliss area. RentCafe has no Fort Bliss entry. For off-post rentals, the Northeast figures above are the closest guide: $1,192 in Castner Heights to $1,745 in North Hills.
Horizon City. RentCafe shows n/a for rent. The median home value is $170,200, below the city of El Paso’s $184,500.
Santa Teresa, New Mexico. No RentCafe figure either. The median home value is $215,100. Before you choose it, read the next section: living here means New Mexico taxes.
Santa Teresa: a different state’s taxes
Santa Teresa is a short drive from West El Paso, but it is in New Mexico, and most of the Texas numbers on this site don’t apply there.
- Income tax. Texas has none. New Mexico taxes personal income at rates from 1.5% to 5.9%, under the six-bracket system signed into law on Mar 6, 2024. The new brackets apply to tax years from 2025. If you live in Santa Teresa and work in El Paso, you generally owe New Mexico tax on that pay.
- Sales tax. New Mexico charges a gross receipts tax instead of a sales tax. The state portion is 4.875%, and local add-ons vary by location. Look up the exact rate for an address on the state’s rate finder map.
- Schools. Santa Teresa students attend Gadsden ISD, a New Mexico district, not an El Paso-area Texas district.
- Electricity. El Paso Electric serves both states, but New Mexico customers have their own rates. KFOX14 reported New Mexico’s peak window as 3 to 7 p.m. at about 22 cents per kWh, versus 2 to 7 p.m. at about 31 cents in Texas (Jul 17, 2026).
Bills everyone shares: water, electricity and Sun Metro
El Paso Water
The Public Service Board approved a 12% increase on the typical residential bill, or $9.99 a month, starting Mar 1, 2026. Stormwater fees did not go up. Households using 4 CCF (about 2,992 gallons) a month or less don’t pay the $17.49 Water Supply Replacement Charge, and the very lowest users get a further $13.99 off. EPWater sets rates once a year with its budget, so the next change would normally take effect in March 2027. Next change Mar 2027
El Paso Electric
El Paso Electric is a regulated utility, so you can’t shop for a plan here. Texas regulators approved its rate increase in 2026. The El Paso Times put the average home’s increase at $13.23 a month, about 13.5%, including a $4.46 rise in the fixed customer charge to $13.71. A separate charge will recover the money EPE missed between Jul 1, 2025 and the start of the new rates. Summer prices are where most households will notice it. KFOX14 reported the first 600 kWh at about 13 cents per kWh this summer, up from about 10 cents last year. Sources disagree on the start date: the El Paso Times says May 1, 2026, and KFOX14 says Jun 1. More on how Texas utilities compare is on Texas electricity.
Sun Metro
Source: Sun Metro fares and passes, checked Oct 31, 2026. Students and children 6 to 18 pay $1, and active military pay $1 a ride or $30 a month. Sun Metro redrew its bus network on Jun 14, 2026, dropping 15 routes and adding two, so check the new map from any address before you rely on a bus. See also Texas transit and tolls and Texas water bills.
Out-of-date numbers you’ll still find online
A 2021 proposal would have raised the standard fare to $2. Sun Metro’s fare page still lists $1.50.
The reduced fare for seniors and riders with a disability went up on Oct 1, 2022. A 2021 report put it at 30 cents.
The 7% figure was last year’s increase, from March 2025. The Mar 1, 2026 increase is larger.
The fixed monthly charge rose as part of the 2026 rate case. You pay it before you use a single kWh.
Council trimmed the introduced rate by about 1.1 cents before adopting it on Aug 18, 2026. The city estimates the average homeowner pays about $105 more a year.
Fifteen routes were discontinued in the 2026 redesign. Route numbers in older apartment listings may no longer exist.
More on El Paso
- El Paso cost of living
Citywide rent medians, home prices, income and the metro price level.
- Texas property taxes
How a bill stacks up, the $140,000 homestead exemption, and how to protest.
- Texas electricity
Why El Paso has no retail choice, and what bills look like elsewhere.
- Fort Worth neighborhoods
The same tiers for Fort Worth and eight suburbs.
Every figure links to its source and shows the date it applies to. Read the full methodology.