Best PlacesNorthwest, El Paso, TX Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Northwest, El Paso, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Costs and crime both read low, and the nearest big city is a drive away. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Northwest, El Paso ranks 1,735th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It earns the spot by being affordable and steady rather than flashy: everyday costs run well below the national average, and crime is low. The trade is property taxes: the nearest large city and its jobs, flights, and culture are a drive away.
The best neighborhoods in Northwest, El Paso
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Northwest, El Paso's strengths and weaknesses
Northwest, El Paso lands in the middle because its strengths and weaknesses roughly balance. Affordable childcare is the standout, in the top 1% of neighborhoods. State finances and low taxes follow.
The one real hole is property taxes, near the bottom of the country. Tree cover and distance from a big city also cost it ground. Cost swings more from one part of Northwest, El Paso to another than it does between Northwest, El Paso and its neighbors, which the map below shows.
Where Northwest, El Paso ranks high
- Cheap childcare$564 a month, better than 99% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than 88% of neighborhoods
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than 88% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 180 pleasant days a year, better than 85% of neighborhoods
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than 84% of neighborhoods
Where Northwest, El Paso ranks low
- Low property taxBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than only 13% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than only 17% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than only 18% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Northwest, El Paso
A household needs to earn about $90,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Northwest, El Paso home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $98,255, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Northwest, El Paso's effective rate of 1.98%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 10 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Northwest, El Paso
Northwest, El Paso runs younger than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Northwest, El Paso.
Who works in Northwest, El Paso, and how
Work in Northwest, El Paso centers on health care & social and education. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 83%
- Work from home 13%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in Northwest, El Paso
Northwest, El Paso has more restaurants and bars per resident than 67% of neighborhoods and more parkland per resident than 75% of neighborhoods. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of Northwest, El Paso and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Northwest, El Paso, month by month
Northwest, El Paso sees roughly 180 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 97 degrees. January highs sit near 59, with lows near 32. The comfortable stretch runs March through May, October, and November.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 44° | 32° |
| April | 81° | 67° | 51° |
| July | 97° | 84° | 72° |
| October | 80° | 66° | 53° |
Flying in and out of Northwest, El Paso
The nearest airport, El Paso International, is about 11 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Albuquerque International Sunport, about 220 miles away.
The best schools in and around Northwest, El Paso
Schools across Northwest, El Paso average a B−, better than 71% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Marguerite J Lundy ElA− · 58% proficient
- Polk ElA− · 56% proficient
- Tippin ElB+ · 51% proficient
Top middle schools
- Hornedo MiddleA · 62% proficient
- Wiggs MiddleB · 44% proficient
- Jose J Alderete MiddleC+ · 37% proficient
Top high schools
- Transmountain Early College H SA · 73% proficient
- Northwest Early College H S (nwechs)A− · 60% proficient
- Franklin H SB+ · 58% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Northwest, El Paso school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Northwest, El Paso measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Northwest, El Paso against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Who Northwest, El Paso suits
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 84% of neighborhoods and 13% already work from home.
Retirees
The weather beats 85% of neighborhoods and it is quieter than 78%.
Common questions about living in Northwest, El Paso
Is Northwest, El Paso a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Northwest, El Paso ranks 1,735th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on affordable childcare, state finances, and low taxes, and lowest on property taxes and tree cover. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Northwest, El Paso expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $295,350. The overall cost of living runs about 14% below the national average. Set against a $98,255 median income, cost of living beats 84% of neighborhoods.
Is Northwest, El Paso safe?
Yes, Northwest, El Paso is safer than 73% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $411 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in Northwest, El Paso?
July highs average about 97 degrees, and January highs near 59 with lows near 32. That works out to about 180 pleasant days a year, more than 85% of neighborhoods.
Is Northwest, El Paso good for families?
Schools beat 71% of neighborhoods, crime safety beats 73%, and childcare runs $564 a month.
Is Northwest, El Paso good for remote workers?
Cost of living against local pay beats 84% of neighborhoods, though advertised internet speeds beat only 36% of neighborhoods. About 13% of workers already work from home.
Compare Northwest, El Paso with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Northwest, El Paso. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Northwest, El Paso represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Northwest, El Paso detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Northwest, El Paso: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Northwest, El Paso: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Northwest, El Paso: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Northwest, El Paso: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Northwest, El Paso detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.