El Paso, Texas, located in the west of the state, near the border with Mexico, offers a unique blend of American and Mexican culture, lower crime rates and cost of living, reliable infrastructure, and ample opportunities for jobs. Conversely, Northwest Harris, a bustling suburban county in Texas, provides a higher standard of living, excellent school systems, and access to a dynamic job market. However, the cost of living is higher than in El Paso. This comparison will focus on various factors to help you make the best decision possible for relocation or visit.
El Paso often ranks among the safest cities of its size in the U.S, making it a reliable choice for both residents and tourists. In contrast, Northwest Harris has higher crime rates, but still maintains average safety levels for suburban areas in Texas. Local law enforcement in both areas work diligently to ensure safety and security.
Cost of Living
El Paso offers a lower cost of living compared to Northwest Harris, due to the city's less expensive housing and daily expenses. Still, Northwest Harris provides a higher average income, which could offset the increased cost of living for many residents.
Income Tax
Texas is one of the few states that doesn't impose a state income tax, meaning living in either El Paso or Northwest Harris offers this financial advantage.
Property Tax
The property tax rate in El Paso is lower than that in Northwest Harris, making home ownership more accessible in El Paso. Still, values are generally higher in Northwest Harris reflecting the area’s growing desirability.
Sales Tax
Both El Paso and Northwest Harris have the identical state sales tax rate of 6.25%. El Paso has an additional city sales tax of 1.50%, while Northwest Harris has no additional county sales tax.
Income
Type
El Paso
Northwest Harris
Estimated median household income
$51,241
$91,482
Estimated per capita income
$25,670
$43,231
Cost of living index (U.S. average is 100)
82.2
102.4
If you make $50,000 in El Paso, you will have to make $62,287 in Northwest Harris to maintain the same standard of living.
Geographical Conditions
El Paso is located in the Chihuahuan Desert and is surrounded by mountains, while Northwest Harris has more temperate landscape, with sprawling plains and proximity to the Gulf Coast.
Geographical information
Type
El Paso
Northwest Harris
Land area
249.1 sq. miles
437.4 sq. miles
Population density
2,723.7 people per sq. mile
1,061.5 people per sq. mile
Relative area comparison
El Paso, TX Northwest Harris, TX
Education
The El Paso Independent School District has over 90 schools offering quality education. In contrast, Northwest Harris is part of the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, one of the highest-rated school districts in Texas, making it a desirable place for families.
El Paso's economy is derived from a mix of sectors including military, healthcare, tourism, and manufacturing. Conversely, Northwest Harris has a diverse economy fuelled by sectors like oil and gas, healthcare, and technology, providing a wealth of job opportunities for residents.
Biggest Employers
Fort Bliss & White Sands Missile Range, University Medical Center, and El Paso School District are the largest employers in El Paso. In Northwest Harris, the leading employers include ExxonMobil, the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District, and Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital.
In El Paso (El Paso County), 65.5% voted for Democrats and 33.2% for Republicans in 2012 Presidential Election. In Northwest Harris (Harris County), 49.4% voted for Democrats and 49.3% for Republicans.
Elections
Type
Democrats
Republicans
Other
Year
El Paso
Northwest Harris
El Paso
Northwest Harris
El Paso
Northwest Harris
2020
66.8%
56.0%
31.6%
42.7%
1.6%
1.3%
2016
69.1%
54.0%
26.0%
41.6%
4.9%
4.4%
2012
65.5%
49.4%
33.2%
49.3%
1.3%
1.3%
2008
66.0%
50.5%
33.4%
48.9%
0.6%
0.6%
2004
56.2%
44.6%
43.3%
54.9%
0.5%
0.5%
2000
57.9%
43.0%
39.8%
54.4%
2.3%
2.6%
1996
62.3%
45.2%
32.1%
49.2%
5.6%
5.6%
Breakdown of population affiliated with a religious congregation
Type
Adherents
Congregations
Religion
El Paso
Northwest Harris
El Paso
Northwest Harris
CATHOLIC CHURCH
43.2%
18.1%
11.3%
3.6%
SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
3.3%
14.2%
26.6%
26.8%
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
0.3%
0.3%
1.6%
1.7%
LUTHERAN CHURCH
0.2%
0.7%
1.0%
1.5%
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
0.1%
1.0%
1.0%
1.4%
MUSLIM ESTIMATE
0.1%
2.9%
0.2%
1.6%
Weather
El Paso delivers a warm desert climate with hot summers and mild winters. On the other hand, Northwest Harris features a subtropical climate, resulting in hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters. Both locations offer plenty of sunny days, making them attractive destinations for warm-weather lovers.
Weather and climate
Type
El Paso
Northwest Harris
Temperature - Average
64.6°F
68.7°F
Humidity - Average morning or afternoon humidity
42.7%
80.3%
Humidity - Differences between morning and afternoon humidity
42.8%
37%
Humidity - Maximum monthly morning or afternoon humidity
59.8%
93%
Humidity - Minimum monthly morning or afternoon humidity
17%
56%
Precipitation - Yearly average
9.4 in
48.5 in
Snowfall - Yearly average
10.7 in
0.6 in
Clouds - Number of days clear of clouds
31.8%
15%
Sunshine amount - Average
89.4%
60.4%
Sunshine amount - Differences during a year
13.9%
24%
Sunshine amount - Maximum monthly
89.3%
67%
Sunshine amount - Minimum monthly
75.4%
43%
Wind speed - Average
8.9 mph
8.1 mph
Average climate in El Paso, Texas
Average climate in Northwest Harris, Texas
Air pollution
Type
AQI
CO
NO2
OZONE
PB
PM10
PM25
SO2
Year
El Paso
Northwest Harris
El Paso
Northwest Harris
El Paso
Northwest Harris
El Paso
Northwest Harris
El Paso
El Paso
El Paso
Northwest Harris
El Paso
Northwest Harris
2018
139
95
0.17
N/A
14.0
5.1
32.0
23.5
N/A
N/A
35.7
N/A
9.2
8.7
N/A
N/A
2017
173
94
0.19
N/A
13.0
4.7
30.5
25.2
N/A
N/A
40.4
N/A
9.5
8.5
0.5
0.5
2016
148
93
0.17
N/A
12.6
5.7
30.6
23.7
N/A
N/A
35.2
N/A
9.2
8.5
0.5
0.4
2015
112
100
0.18
N/A
12.7
6.1
30.8
23.1
N/A
N/A
31.2
N/A
8.0
9.3
0.5
0.1
2014
157
88
0.13
0.28
12.8
6.7
30.0
22.3
N/A
N/A
40.3
N/A
9.7
9.6
0.4
0.1
2013
211
104
0.23
0.29
14.1
6.6
30.5
23.7
N/A
N/A
43.9
N/A
10.8
10.3
0.4
0.1
2012
229
107
0.30
0.30
15.9
7.1
31.6
24.8
N/A
N/A
40.2
N/A
11.6
10.6
0.4
0.2
2011
221
115
0.23
0.32
15.9
6.8
31.2
27.0
N/A
N/A
34.7
N/A
11.6
11.3
0.5
0.6
2010
211
104
0.25
0.26
15.3
7.5
29.4
25.0
N/A
N/A
28.8
N/A
7.9
11.1
0.3
0.8
2009
117
114
0.23
0.27
15.4
6.8
29.5
25.1
N/A
N/A
28.6
N/A
8.3
11.0
0.3
0.9
2008
210
104
0.25
0.35
15.2
8.0
30.1
24.5
0.017
N/A
34.6
N/A
9.7
11.9
0.6
1.4
2007
134
123
0.28
0.37
13.9
9.1
30.6
23.2
0.019
N/A
40.5
N/A
8.4
13.0
0.4
1.7
2006
241
130
0.37
0.39
14.3
9.0
30.6
25.0
0.018
N/A
55.0
N/A
11.1
11.6
0.3
1.5
2005
159
132
0.43
0.42
13.1
9.7
29.6
25.3
0.013
N/A
44.5
N/A
9.6
13.3
0.6
2.6
2004
183
125
0.38
0.44
13.5
10.0
29.2
22.9
0.020
N/A
47.3
N/A
8.2
N/A
0.4
2.8
2003
278
144
0.46
0.62
15.5
10.8
29.5
23.5
0.039
N/A
60.4
N/A
10.8
N/A
0.6
2.4
2002
203
124
0.43
0.55
16.4
10.5
30.5
22.5
0.034
N/A
53.3
N/A
11.0
N/A
0.4
1.5
2001
139
148
0.51
0.44
15.5
12.0
28.7
22.2
0.046
N/A
N/A
N/A
9.8
N/A
0.7
2.0
2000
145
133
0.67
0.50
17.8
10.8
27.8
23.0
0.072
N/A
N/A
N/A
9.1
N/A
1.0
2.1
Natural disasters
Type
El Paso
Northwest Harris
Tornado activity compared to U.S. average
4.2%
179.3%
Earthquake activity compared to U.S. average
524.4%
67.9%
Natural disasters compared to U.S. average
11%
32%
Transportation
El Paso residents rely on public buses and a streetcar system, and traffic is generally much lighter than in larger cities. Northwest Harris residents often commute to work by car, with easy access to major freeways including Highway 290 and Sam Houston Tollway.
Transport
Type
El Paso
Northwest Harris
Amtrak stations
1
0
Amtrak stations nearby
1
0
FAA registered aircraft
331
0
FAA registered aircraft manufacturers and dealers
6
0
Means of transportation to work
Type
El Paso
Northwest Harris
Bicycle
0.3%
0.1%
Bus
1.3%
2.5%
Carpooled
11.2%
11.3%
Car alone
83.4%
81.5%
Motorcycle
0.2%
0.1%
Walked
1.6%
0.8%
Average travel time to work
Type
El Paso
Northwest Harris
Average
25.1 min
31.3 min
Real Estate
Housing is more affordable in El Paso compared to Northwest Harris, with a wide variety of housing options available in both urban and suburban neighborhoods. Properties in Northwest Harris tend to be pricier but often offer larger living spaces.
Neighborhoods
El Paso has diverse neighborhoods ranging from the historic El Segundo Barrio to the modern Kern Place. Northwest Harris consists predominantly of residential suburbs, with Cypress being one of the most desirable due to its planned communities, quality schools, and myriad amenities.
Houses and residents
Type
El Paso
Northwest Harris
Houses
261,779
149,181
Average household size (people)
3
2.9
Houses occupied
242,529 (92.6%)
141,708 (95%)
Houses occupied by owners
147,788 (60.9%)
100,076 (70.6%)
Houses occupied by renters
94,741 (39.1%)
41,632 (29.4%)
Median rent asked for vacant for-rent units
$570.82
$1,182
Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses and condos
$227,007
$300,799
Estimated median house or condo value
$152,800
$307,883
Median number of rooms in apartments
4.3
3.8
Median number of rooms in houses and condos
6.2
7.5
Renting percentage
39.6%
28.6%
Housing density (houses/condos per square mile)
1,051
341.1
Household income disparities
46.6%
38.3%
Housing units without a mortgage
1,889 (2.2%)
15,158 (16.5%)
Housing units with both a second mortgage and home equity loan
2,956 (3.4%)
105 (0.1%)
Housing units with a mortgage
84,973 (97.8%)
76,541 (83.5%)
Housing units with a home equity loan
250 (0.3%)
3,826 (4.2%)
Housing units with a second mortgage
3,635 (4.2%)
4,244 (4.6%)
Housing units lacking complete kitchen facilities
2%
0.3%
Housing units lacking complete plumbing facilities
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business
19,650
12,608
State government workers
12,525
7,312
Unpaid family workers
901
552
Industries and Occupations
In El Paso, the leading industries are education, healthcare services, and accommodation, and food services. For Northwest Harris, the oil and gas industry along with healthcare and retail are the major sources of employment.
El Paso is home to numerous healthcare facilities, such as The University Medical Center of El Paso. In contrast, Northwest Harris has globally renowned medical facilities in the nearby Houston Med Center, featuring some of the country's top medical institutions.
Health (county statistics)
Type
El Paso
Northwest Harris
General health status score of residents in this county from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent)
El Paso boasts robust infrastructure with modern highways, bridges, public buildings, and several public parks. Northwest Harris also offers good infrastructure, and experienced rapid growth over the last decade, indicative of its continuous development.
Infrastructure
Type
El Paso
Northwest Harris
TV stations
10
27
Culture and Food
El Paso is rich in culture, boasting a unique blend of Mexican and American influences which is reflected in its cuisine, arts, and festivals. Conversely, Northwest Harris has a more traditional American suburban culture with a variety of culinary options from BBQ to international cuisines.
Sports Teams
El Paso has multiple sports teams including the El Paso Chihuahuas (Minor League Baseball) and the El Paso Locomotive FC (USL soccer). Northwest Harris residents typically support Houston-area sports teams such as the Houston Texans (NFL), Houston Rockets (NBA), and Houston Astros (MLB).
El Paso, TX
Northwest Harris, TX
