Texas › El Paso
What it actually costs to live in El Paso right now.
Every number sourced. Checked this month.
El Paso prices sit about 10% below the national average, and it has the lowest one-bedroom median of the six cities we cover in depth. It also runs on its own regulated electric utility, which won a rate increase in 2026. Here is what living in El Paso costs today.
Numbers last checked October 31, 2026The numbers
| Topic | What | Cost | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | ||||
| Rent | 1-bedroom, median | $942 | Oct 2026 data | Apartment List |
| Rent | 2-bedroom, median | $1,127 | Oct 2026 data | Apartment List |
| Rent | All sizes, median | $1,183 | Oct 2026 data | Apartment List |
| Rent | Change, year over year (Texas overall: −1.5%) | +2.3% | Oct 2026 data | Apartment List |
| Buying | ||||
| Home prices | Metro median sale price (+3.0% vs. Q1 2025) | $272,950 | Q1 2026 | Texas REALTORS / TAMU |
| Home prices | Texas statewide median, for comparison | $328,000 | Q1 2026 | Texas REALTORS / TAMU |
| Taxes | ||||
| Property tax | City of El Paso no-new-revenue rate per $100 | $0.728317 | 2025 tax year | City of El Paso |
| Property tax | City of El Paso voter-approval rate (ceiling) per $100 | $0.765942 | 2025 tax year | City of El Paso |
| Sales tax | Combined rate in El Paso (Texas maximum) | 8.25% | Checked Oct 31, 2026 | Texas Comptroller city rates |
| Electricity | ||||
| Electricity | El Paso Electric approved increase, average home (about 13.5%) | ~$13.23/mo | Approved Feb 2026; EPE’s final calculation | El Paso Times |
| Electricity | Residential customer charge (fixed, before any usage) | $9.25 → $13.71/mo | New rates in effect mid-2026 | El Paso Times, KFOX14, Jul 17, 2026 |
| Electricity | Typical bill before the increase: winter / hot months | ~$72 / ~$140 | Pre-2026 (EPE data) | El Paso Times |
| Pay and prices | ||||
| Income | Median household income, city (±$2,820) | $59,932 | 2024 ACS 1-year | Census Reporter |
| Price level | All items vs. U.S. = 100 | 89.9 | 2024 data | BEA via FRED |
El Paso County and El Paso ISD rates, El Paso Water rates, Sun Metro fares and the MIT living wage for El Paso are still being checked and will be added in a later update.
Out-of-date numbers you’ll still find online
Regulators approved the increase in Feb 2026, below the roughly $22.39 the utility asked for. The city’s early estimate was $13.71; EPE’s final math came to $13.23, plus a separate surcharge to recover the July 2025 to spring 2026 gap. Also see the City of El Paso release.
Personal vehicles no longer need a safety inspection (since Jan 1, 2025), but El Paso County still requires emissions testing.
Raised statewide in Nov 2025. Details on Texas taxes.
Same everywhere in Texas
El Paso Electric is a regulated utility outside the ERCOT grid, in the Western grid. State regulators found it not ready for retail competition (Senate Research Center, 2011), and its home rates are still set in PUCT rate cases like the 2026 one above, so there is no shopping for a retail electricity plan here. Income tax, the sales tax ceiling, homestead exemptions, vehicle fees and insurance averages are on Texas taxes and pay and the Texas overview. Compare El Paso with 11 other Texas cities on the comparison page.
How we check
Every figure links to its source and shows the date it applies to. Read the full methodology.