on $100k a year, leaving Gainesville

change
El Paso, TX cityscape

instead of gainesville

El Paso

tx · metro 872k

photo: Gene Maysonet / pexels

a dispatch from

el paso

TX

31.76°N

106.49°W

El Paso has the Franklin Mountains running right through the middle of the city (which is rare), with hiking trails inside city limits and the desert wide open just past the suburbs. The Mexican food is exceptional in ways that the rest of Texas doesn't quite match (it's true regional border food). Ciudad Juarez is literally next door across the Rio Grande. The light at sunset is unreal.

metro872k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$172

lighter monthly cost than Gainesville

El Paso and Gainesville land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
landable, recorded on the el paso entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,473/mo

10% cheaper than Gainesville(vs $1,645/mo)

02state income tax

0%

vs 0% in Gainesville

03after rent

$6,860/mo

$172 more than Gainesville

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$231k

27% cheaper than Gainesville

vs $317k in Gainesville

05metro size

872k

vs 350k in Gainesville

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

222

pleasant days a year, in el paso.

Gainesville only manages 206 of those. Bring the AC. 60 days a year clear 95°, well past Gainesville's 17.

Nights and weekends fill up faster. 10.0× more on the calendar than Gainesville.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

65/100

3% higher than Gainesville

vs 63/100 in Gainesville

Closest outdoor draw: White Sands National Park, 72.1 mi.

·walk score®

93/100

2% higher than Gainesville

vs 91/100 in Gainesville

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

13

160% more than Gainesville

vs 5 nonstops in Gainesville

04 · see also

if el paso appeals, also worth a look:

see also

roanoke

more things to do

turn the page

see also

lexington

more things to do

turn the page

see also

huntsville

more things to do

turn the page

compare el paso with:

RoanokeLexingtonHuntsville