The city of El Paso curves alongside the Rio Grande, flanked by Mexico's Ciudad Juárez on one side and the state of New Mexico on another. The two cities combine in the Borderplex Region, a sprawling international area home to 2.5 million people. As a major border crossing and international trade hub, the commercial corridor employs the biggest binational and bilingual workforce in the Western Hemisphere.
For the 680,000 people who live in El Paso, most days are much smaller in scale. The growing city is home to dozens of neighborhoods, such as Castner Heights, Las Palmas and Rim-University, each with its own character, all enjoying nearly 300 days of sunshine per year. “Friendly and sunny,” says Jaime Mora, a broker with Alluvion Realty Group. “We have a low crime rate, so it’s a great place to raise your kids.”
Cesar Chavez Border Highway provides quick access to downtown El Paso.
Glowing beacon above Five Points, the Star on the Mountain shines with city pride.
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Center of the Borderplex Region
Juan de Oñate, an early Spanish colonizer, arrived in 1598 and named the area El Paso del Norte, "the pass of the north." A heavy Spanish influence is still prevalent in the language, culture and architecture. Today, the namesake seat of El Paso County is the sixth biggest city in Texas and the 22nd biggest in the country.
In addition to El Paso's central role in the Borderplex Region, it has a long industrial history, with mineral production and metal manufacturing being top job creators. Other major industries include food production, construction materials, electronic and medical equipment, and apparel. Livestock ranching, another longtime employer, is still going strong. The Fort Bliss military base and, across the border in New Mexico, White Sands Missile Range also contribute heavily to city employment. And the city has several highly rated hospitals, notably the Las Palmas and Del Sol Medical Centers.
The Presidio Chapel of San Elizario was built in 1877 in the central square of San Elizario.
Enjoy breathtaking sunsets while hiking Palisades Loop near Mission Hills.
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Spanish Revival architecture with views of the Franklin Mountains
El Paso consistently ranks near the top of U.S. cities with a low cost of living. Homes in the metro area have an average value of around $240,000, about half the U.S. average. “The most valuable properties are in the Upper Valley, from west side to east side, then the Northeast, and then the Valley,” says Charlie Clark, broker and owner of Century 21 Clark Brothers. Spanish Revival architecture, with its stucco walls and terra-cotta-tiled roofs, is still popular throughout the city. In the Upper Valley, sleek contemporary homes in private communities gather around the western foothills of the Franklin Mountains, commanding prices as high as $2 million. More modest-sized homes in this region can go for $400,000 to $500,000, while well-maintained starter homes in Northeast and East El Paso might cost $175,000 to $250,000. Investment properties in Mission Valley start at $100,000 to $150,000.
Explore Kern Place's diverse architectural charm.
Explore Grandview's charm, adorned with ranch-style residences.
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Franklin Mountains State Park and UTEP football
The Franklin Mountains dominate the northern horizon, giving the city access to a network of hiking and biking trails in Franklin Mountains State Park. In January, riders in the El Paso Puzzler tackle the trails in one of the largest mountain bike races in the region. Indoor and outdoor rock-climbing facilities dot the landscape around the state park, and two casinos add to the after-hours scene, hosting live concerts, tribute shows and other events.
Local and national country artists star in the Way Out West Festival in Downtown El Paso , while a chili challenge and margarita competition add dashes of regional flavor to the September celebration. Chalk the Block, a public art festival, draws crowds of 45,000 visitors to the Downtown Arts District every October.
About 25,000 students attend the University of Texas at El Paso, and more than 50,000 fans crowd Sun Bowl Stadium to watch the UTEP Miners excavate the competition during football season. The El Paso Chihuahuas have a stadium in a prime downtown location, making it the only minor league baseball park within walking distance of another country.
Polk residents enjoy their hiking haven at the Franklin Mountains State Park.
UTEP hosts its games in the Sun Bowl stadium.
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Making history at El Paso Independent School District
More than 50,000 students attend schools in the El Paso Independent School District, which has a Niche grade of B-plus. El Paso High School, in West Central , is the longest operating high school in the city, with impressive Greek and Roman-inspired architecture that’s landed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Canutillo ISD, also rated B-plus, serves students in the northwestern part of the city near Franklin Mountains State Park. Lower Valley districts include the B-plus-rated Harmony Public Schools and Ysleta ISD, which gets an A-minus. The University of Texas at El Paso was born in 1913 as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy. Today, its 24,000 students attend classes in business, education, fine arts, health sciences or one of the other 170 degree options.
El Paso High School is proudly the oldest operating high school in El Paso.
Eagle pride soars at Canutillo High School in Upper Valley, El Paso TX.
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Cielo Vista and the Fountains at Farah anchor the shopping scene
Most retail and restaurant activity in the city centers on its major shopping centers. In the eastern neighborhood of Cielo Vista , near the airport, department stores like Dillard’s, Macy’s and Sears anchor the corners of the Cielo Vista Mall. Dozens of smaller retailers and fast-food chains are scattered throughout the complex. The Fountains at Farah outdoor complex features chain stores and restaurants, tasteful landscaping and a performance stage. New development could be around the corner for downtown, particularly South El Paso Street, an international shopping corridor that extends into Juárez. “When the city expanded, and they started building malls, people weren’t shopping downtown anymore, so there were a lot of vacant buildings,” Mora says. “But this developer, Paul Foster, he’s breathing new life into downtown again.” Foster, the CEO of Franklin Mountain Investments, has gained attention for restoring several historic downtown structures, including the Plaza Hotel and the Mills Building.
Cielo Vista Mall offers stores for all your shopping needs.
Art lovers from the Northeast flock to the El Paso Museum of Art in downtown.
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Downtown and uptown loops on the El Paso Streetcar
El Paso is a sprawling city. A network of highways crisis-crosses the area, making it easier to get around by car. Loop 375 forms a loose circle around the city, passing through the Franklin Mountains in the north and curving through the Lower Valley in the south. Another major artery, Interstate 10, passes through El Paso on its 2,460-mile path across the southern U.S.
El Paso’s Sun Metro bus system includes the Streetcar, a trolley through the downtown and uptown districts. Passengers can use Streetcar stops to transfer to buses on the regular fixed-route system or on the Sun Metro Brio, a rapid transit system that spans four city corridors. Although cycling is a popular pastime, bike lanes are scarce throughout the central parts of the city. “We’ll get people from San Francisco who ask, ‘What’s your walkability score?’ And it really doesn’t exist,” says Patrick Tuttle, broker and owner of Coldwell Banker Heritage and host of YouTube’s "The Best Side of El Paso." El Paso International Airport is served by seven major airlines, with 17 nonstop destinations.
El Paso’s 2025 budget acknowledges the city’s growing population, emphasizing projects that focus on infrastructure and public safety. More than $50 million is allocated to road construction, stormwater projects and county courthouse infrastructure to allow additional judges.
Families enjoy events like Chalk the Block which takes place in Downtown.
Explore scenic biking trails in the stunning Franklin Mountains State Park.
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Crime risk, air quality and the Ysleta Mission
According to FBI data, the reported property crime rates in El Paso trend below U.S. and state rates, while violent crime rates generally fall somewhere between the two. Between 2022 and 2023, the violent crime rate increased by 5%. During the same period, motor vehicle theft rose by 64%, contributing to an almost 17% increase in property crimes. Higher rates of crime are often concentrated around the highways and the New Mexico border near the Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino. The downtown area can also have higher instances of low-level and violent crime, and the central portion of the Mission Valley is home to a few neighborhoods with higher-than-average CAP Index crime scores.
Because of the city’s location on the U.S.-Mexico border, idling traffic is a constant presence in and around El Paso. This phenomenon contributes to poor air quality throughout the city, although the issue is more pronounced in neighborhoods closer to the border, such as Shawver Park . Residents also combat extreme heat in summer, with temperatures frequently soaring into the triple digits.
The Ysleta Mission, a part of the Ysleta community, dates to the late 17th century and the early days of the Pueblo Revolt. As one of three churches on the El Paso Mission Trail, it’s a tourist destination as well as a house of worship. The Tigua people use the mission to observe ritual days such as the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, and its distinctive Spanish Revival architecture makes it a local landmark. St. Patrick Cathedral, seat of the large Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso, occupies a majestic brick edifice on North Mesa Street.
Alejandro Gamboa is a long-time El Paso Texas resident, a US NAVY Disabled Veteran, and worked as a police officer in the state of Texas. He has made a transition into Real Estate using his experience in Sales, and Customer Service, Communication, Person Relations, and overall knowledge of the El Paso area. He’s also bilingual and fluent in English and Spanish language and he has a Degree in Marketing. He’s never too busy for your referrals and he would appreciate your review.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
