Population 870,779 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in El Paso County
Household size in El Paso County
| Period | El Paso County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.24 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.25 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.14 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.01 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.23 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
El Paso County is a place of big households: 3.01 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.24, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in El Paso County
| Period | El Paso County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.9 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 32.5 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.7 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.9 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
El Paso County is young: half of its residents are under 34.9, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 31.9 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in El Paso County
| Period | El Paso County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.2% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.9% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in El Paso County (16.9%), well above the national share of 11.6%. El Paso County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Texas counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in El Paso County
Renters in El Paso County
| Period | El Paso County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.1% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 38.2% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.9% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.8% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in El Paso County is about as common as it is nationally: 35.8% of households rent, against 34.8%. About half of owners (48.7%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the southeast.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in El Paso County
| Period | El Paso County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in El Paso County than nationally: 8.0%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy has edged down 0.5 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Few Texas counties have a lower vacancy rate: only 24 of 254.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in El Paso County
| Period | El Paso County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +8 | +6 |
Much of the housing in El Paso County is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1983 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the west.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in El Paso County
| Period | El Paso County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $744 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $877 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $943 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,234 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$489 | +$639 | +$606 |
Rent in El Paso County runs $1,234 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $489 a month since 2006–10, up 66%, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 34.2% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in El Paso County
Bachelor's degrees in El Paso County
| Period | El Paso County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.9% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.8% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older in El Paso County (25.8%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 5.7 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in El Paso County
| Period | El Paso County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.5% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 75.6% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.1% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.7% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.2 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in El Paso County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 10.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in El Paso County
| Period | El Paso County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 6.0%, unemployment in El Paso County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.0 points, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
El Paso County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County | 3.01 | 34.9 | 16.9% | 35.8% | 8.0% | 1990 | $1,234 | 25.8% | 81.7% | 6.0% |
| Loving County | 1.22 | 86.2 | 11.6% | 88.9% | 18.2% | 1938 | $1,403 | 33.8% | 90.3% | 0.0% |
| Winkler County | 2.71 | 38.0 | 14.1% | 14.0% | 14.3% | 1969 | $895 | 10.3% | 73.5% | 3.7% |
| Cochise County | 2.47 | 44.7 | 11.1% | 29.0% | 14.0% | 1986 | $1,026 | 28.4% | 89.1% | 7.0% |
| Ector County | 2.64 | 32.4 | 17.4% | 35.3% | 7.6% | 1987 | $1,233 | 18.3% | 78.3% | 5.6% |
| Glasscock County | 2.31 | 40.0 | 7.3% | 31.5% | 9.9% | 1979 | $642 | 28.7% | 88.4% | 1.0% |
| Sterling County | 3.59 | 32.1 | 12.8% | 22.3% | 23.9% | 1983 | $952 | 24.5% | 84.0% | 2.1% |
| Runnels County | 2.58 | 42.4 | 12.3% | 25.0% | 23.3% | 1961 | $908 | 19.2% | 86.7% | 4.9% |
| Coleman County | 2.42 | 49.0 | 9.9% | 22.8% | 29.7% | 1969 | $715 | 19.1% | 88.0% | 7.2% |
| Brown County | 2.48 | 42.8 | 11.6% | 31.7% | 19.7% | 1977 | $939 | 20.3% | 87.7% | 5.1% |
| Hamilton County | 2.59 | 44.8 | 6.6% | 21.3% | 27.4% | 1966 | $896 | 27.2% | 89.3% | 6.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Kern County, CA · Ventura County, CA · Pinellas County, FL · San Francisco County, CA · Fairfield County, CT · Hidalgo County, TX · Bergen County, NJ · Montgomery County, PA · Pierce County, WA · Erie County, NY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up El Paso County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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