Congratulations on your decision to move to El Paso. It is a beautiful, urban metro area with all the delights of city living surrounded by the vast and incomprehensible beauty of the Southwest. Open desert meets mountains that provide the backdrop to El Paso’s unique skyline, creating an ambiance unlike anywhere else in Texas. The history of the area, too, is a mix of revolutionary intrigue, outlaws, and cowboys that dates back to decades before the first pilgrims arrived on the East Coast.
Beyond its physical beauty, El Paso is both an entertaining city and an easy place to live. The sun shines for more than 300 days a year and outdoor activities abound. Taxes here are lower than in much of the rest of the country, as residents of Texas pay no state personal income tax and the local sales tax lingers at a gentle 8.25 percent. El Paso is also consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the United States. The school systems in El Paso are excellent, with many magnet programs attracting high school students to specialized programs of study. The University of Texas at El Paso provides the crux of higher education to the region.
It is also a growing city with a low cost of living. The Eastside and Westside accounted for the majority of the city’s growth over the past decade. Most of the city’s expensive and newer homes are located on the Westside, going for $190,000 and up, while the Eastside is the next most expensive area and the part of El Paso that is seeing the most expansion in new homes and suburban sprawl. The most affordable and historic homes are located in the Central, Lower Valley, and Northeast areas of El Paso, with particularly inexpensive homes available in and around Fort Bliss.
Much of the relocation to El Paso is thanks to the Fort Bliss Military Reservation, which is a huge swath of land in the northeast part of the city. Hundreds of military personnel and their families are stationed at Fort Bliss each year and a significant number of posts also come from abroad, factors which, combined with El Paso’s significant Hispanic population (more then 50 percent), make the city an extremely diverse place. Retirees are also drawn to El Paso. Whatever your reason for moving to El Paso, you will find life here to be easy and comfortable. Welcome to the Sun City!