Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety60#368/924
Economy14#795/925
Housing14#797/925
Health70#276/925
Healthcare10#831/923
Environment24#693/917
Education40#553/925
Infrastructure52#443/925
Community14#794/925
Leisure & amenities25#691/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where El Paso, TX metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Distance to an airport · low9 mi
99/100Texas 33 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · high34.5%
97/100Texas 30.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · low61 /100k
96/100Texas 69 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Depression · low19.9%
92/100Texas 21.2%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · low22.3%
87/100Texas 24.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Adult smoking · low12.5%
86/100Texas 15.3%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Days with unhealthy air · high17.3%
1/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Median Air Quality Index · high70
1/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high24.6%
1/100Texas 19.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Mammography screening · low30.0%
2/100Texas 42.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
High ozone days · high11 days
2/100Texas 7 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
3/100Texas 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Days with unhealthy airWorsening
5.2% (2020) → 17.3% (2025)
+12 pts5 years
High ozone daysWorsening
7 days (2017) → 11 days (2022)
+57%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.4% (2015-2019) → 89.7% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Drought exposureImproving
53% (2021) → 42% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−11 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Voter turnoutWorsening
58.7% (2020) → 48.0% (2024)
−11 pts4 yearsUS 68.5% → 65.2%
New business applicationsImproving
7.4 /1k (2020) → 10.9 /1k (2025)
+47%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, El Paso, TX metro area improved on 13 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 2 moved within the margin of error and 9 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Real income+36%$40,257 → $54,801
High school++2.6 points78.3% → 81.0%
Broadband+11 points78.4% → 89.7%
Child poverty−4 points28.6% → 24.6%
Unemployment−3.6 points8.0% → 4.4%

Declined8

Uninsured+1.9 points22.7% → 24.6%
Suicides+30%10.8 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Firearm deaths+23%8.3 /100k → 10.3 /100k
Rent / income+2.1 points29.8% → 31.9%
Transit use−0.6 points1.4% → 0.8%

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of El Paso, TX metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.0 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	59%
Average commute time	23.7 min2015-2019	24.1 min2020-2024	+0.4 min	Within the margin of error	50%
Average weekly wage	$8282020	$9932025	+20%	Improved	20%
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.2%2015-2019	25.9%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Improved	46%
Broadband subscriptions	78.4%2015-2019	89.7%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	73%
Child poverty rate	28.6%2015-2019	24.6%2020-2024	−4 points	Improved	68%
Distance to an airport	9 mi2020	9 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	17%
Drug overdose deaths	13.6 /100k2020	12.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−8.1%	Improved	34%
Effective property tax rate	2.10%2015-2019	1.80%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	90%
Firearm deaths	8.3 /100k2020	10.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+23%	Declined	22%
Grocery stores	1.0 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−1.3%	Little change	44%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.0 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+2.2%	Little change	48%
High school diploma or higher	78.3%2015-2019	81.0%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Improved	73%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	3.0×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	53%
Homicide rate	3.6 /100k2020	3.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+0.9%	Little change	21%
Income adjusted for local prices	$40,2572019	$54,8012024	+36%	Improved	77%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4622015-2019	0.4672020-2024	+0.006	Within the margin of error	38%
Median household income	$46,7952015-2019	$59,7512020-2024	+28%	Improved	53%
New business applications	7.4 /1k2020	10.9 /1k2025	+47%	Improved	52%
Pharmacies	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	64%
Poverty rate	20.2%2015-2019	18.7%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Improved	63%
Property crime rate	1,194 /100k2020	1,214 /100k2025	+1.7%	Little change	5%
Public libraries	0.2 /10k2019	0.2 /10k2024	−4.6%	Little change	26%
Public transit commuters	1.4%2015-2019	0.8%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Declined	29%
Rent as share of income	29.8%2015-2019	31.9%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Declined	20%
Rent-burdened households	49.4%2015-2019	53.5%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Declined	24%
Restaurants and bars	8.0 /10k2020	8.4 /10k2025	+4.8%	Little change	66%
Suicide rate	10.8 /100k2020	14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+30%	Declined	16%
Traffic deaths	10.1 /100k2015-2019	11.3 /100k2020-2024	+12%	Declined	40%
Unemployment rate	8.0%2020	4.4%2025	−3.6 points	Improved	68%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	22.7%2015-2019	24.6%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Declined	10%
Violent crime rate	315 /100k2020	282 /100k2025	−11%	Improved	41%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like El Paso, TX metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of El Paso, TX metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, El Paso, TX metro area itself moved −2.8 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

874,182 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

300,479 households (±1,061)

El Paso, TX metro area
United States share

Under $25k21%64,070
$25k–50k21%63,530
$50k–75k18%54,909

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

300,479 households (±1,061)

El Paso, TX metro area
United States share

Own64%193,076
Rent36%107,403

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

388,100 workers (±3,608)

El Paso, TX metro area
United States share

Drive alone75%290,852
Carpool12%46,416
Public transit0.8%2,977

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in El Paso, TX employ 92,470 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in El Paso, TX by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides14,310 jobs	14,310	$23,200US $35,800	−35%	1.52×
Fast Food and Counter Workers13,520 jobs	13,520	$23,030US $31,200	−26%	1.61×
Customer Service Representatives10,680 jobs	10,680	$37,640US $44,770	−16%	1.89×
Retail Salespersons10,070 jobs	10,070	$27,330US $35,410	−23%	1.18×
General and Operations Managers7,850 jobs	7,850	$77,770US $105,770	−26%	1.03×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers7,850 jobs	7,850	$49,270US $58,640	−16%	1.75×
Stockers and Order Fillers7,640 jobs	7,640	$34,400US $37,330	−8%	1.24×
Registered Nurses7,320 jobs	7,320	$86,100US $97,550	−12%	0.99×
Cashiers6,670 jobs	6,670	$27,320US $32,880	−17%	0.99×
Office Clerks, General6,560 jobs	6,560	$34,380US $45,010	−24%	1.22×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in El Paso, TX.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

El Paso, TX has 16,311 employer establishments, 186 for every 10,000 residents (0.75× the US rate of 248), with 254,660 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,774. The Census Bureau also counts 85,553 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 16,311; 85,553 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 186; US 248
Paid employees: 254,660
Average annual pay: $42,774; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of El Paso, TX by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,585	18.1	0.87×About typical	23,707	$49,102	3,284
Restaurants and other eating places	1,574	18	0.98×About typical	33,621	$19,368	832
Lessors of real estate	866	9.9	0.80×About typical	2,757	$50,054	5,264
Specialty trade contractors	785	9	0.58×Fewer than typical	7,904	$48,781	7,272
Truck transportation	710	8.1	1.60×More than typical	7,596	$56,578	5,643
Limited-service restaurants	703	8	1.00×About typical	15,864	$17,676	224
Full-service restaurants	662	7.6	0.98×About typical	14,891	$21,147	365
Offices of physicians	639	7.3	1.13×About typical	5,707	$85,636	597
Automotive repair and maintenance	430	4.9	0.97×About typical	2,502	$36,646	2,035
Building equipment contractors	406	4.6	0.77×Fewer than typical	4,155	$50,843	1,824
Construction of buildings	399	4.6	0.60×Fewer than typical	3,202	$57,825	4,580
Insurance agencies and brokerages	376	4.3	0.98×About typical	2,342	$50,567	1,364

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 876,641 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $6.5B on contracts performed in El Paso, TX metro area: $7,372 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $6.5B; +416% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,372; US $1,994
Sole-source: 13%; US 30%
Single offer: 25%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

U.S. Customs and Border Protection$4.8B73%
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement$1.3B20%
Department of the Army$238.8M3.7%
Defense Logistics Agency$91.5M1.4%
Forest Service$40.4M0.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs$20M0.3%
Federal Acquisition Service$12.4M0.2%
Office of Procurement Operations$11.2M0.2%

Top recipients

BARNARD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED$2.6B40%
AMI METALS, INC$2B31%
AMENTUM SERVICES, INC.$657.6M10%
ACQUISITION LOGISTICS LLC$598.4M9.2%
SOUTHWEST VALLEY CONSTRUCTORS CO$75.8M1.2%

Spending by fiscal year

899MFY2017
1.2BFY2018
1.1BFY2019
1.3BFY2020
1.9BFY2021
2.7BFY2022
2BFY2023
2.2B

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$2.7B42%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$2.6B41%
Investigation and security services · 5616$678.2M10%
Facilities support services · 5612$66.5M1.0%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$45M0.7%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617

Largest awards

THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS TO PROVIDE THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF SERVICES NECESSARY TO CARE FOR UC IN ORR CUSTODY INCLUDING FACILITIES SET-UP, MAINTENANCE, AND SUPPORT INTERNAL AND PERIMETER (IF APPLICABLE) SECURITY, DIRECT CARE AND SUPERVISION INC$3.5B
RAPID DEPLOYMENT INC· El Paso County, TX· Professional services· Mar 24, 2021 – Jul 1, 2026· 75ACF121C00020
BULK STEEL FOR SOUTHWEST BORDER BARRIER CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS$2B
AMI METALS, INC· El Paso County, TX· Professional services· Feb 11, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026· 70B01C26C00000006
BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION FOR EL PASO SECTOR - EPT-5$1.6B
BARNARD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED· El Paso County, TX· Construction & real property· Apr 24, 2026 – Apr 24, 2026· 70B01C26F00000292

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $4.6B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for El Paso, TX metro area: $5,253 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $4.6B; +1.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,253; US $12,955
Loan face value: $965M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$2B43%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$1.1B24%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$289.1M6.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$278M6.0%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$175.7M3.8%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$126.8M2.7%
64.028 · Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance$74.3M1.6%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$56.3M1.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO$118.9M2.6%
EL PASO, TX
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$86.5M1.9%
AUSTIN, TX
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF EL PASO, TEXAS$57.8M1.2%
EL PASO, TX
CITY OF EL PASO$37.7M0.8%
EL PASO, TX
QUIKSTUDY LEARNING CENTERS, INC.

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$2.7B59%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$1.3B28%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$142.6M3.1%
Federal Highway Administration$91.9M2.0%
Department of Transportation
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$80.2M

Assistance by fiscal year

4.2BFY2021
3.8BFY2022
4BFY2023
4.3BFY2024
4.6BFY2025
4.6BFY2026

County aggregates

90%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in El Paso, TX

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

El PasoPrincipal city680,130

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Areas based in Texas, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M21340

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like El Paso, TX metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in El Paso, TX

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined8

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought