same $100k income, fresh start from Kingsport

change
El Paso, TX cityscape

swapping out of kingsport

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

in our guides

#8

of 10

Affordable cities for outdoor lovers

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best mid-sized US cities

read the guide
#2

of 10

Best affordable cities to retire

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities for retirees who love the outdoors

read the guide
#5

of 10

Best cities in states with no income tax

read the guide
#10

of 10

Best cities to leave Chicago for

read the guide
#5

of 10

Affordable alternatives to Austin

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities to leave Denver for

read the guide
#9

of 10

Best cities for a $200k salary

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities to buy a home

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities to leave Miami for

read the guide
#7

of 10

Best cities for snowbirds

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities to leave Portland for

read the guide
#6

of 10

Affordable alternatives to Miami

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities where buying beats renting

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities to live in Texas

read the guide
#5

of 10

Best cities to leave San Diego for

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities to leave Minneapolis for

read the guide
#9

of 10

Best cities for a $60k salary

read the guide

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$90

more expensive each month than Kingsport

A small premium for El Paso. Worth it only if the rest of the city earns it back.
landable, recorded on the el paso entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,473/mo

7% more expensive than Kingsport(vs $1,383/mo)

02state income tax

0%

vs 0% in Kingsport

03after rent

$6,860/mo

$90 less than Kingsport

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

04a house here

$231k

5% cheaper than Kingsport

vs $244k in Kingsport

05metro size

872k

vs 312k in Kingsport

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

222

pleasant days a year, in el paso.

Kingsport only manages 188 of those. Bring the AC. 60 days a year clear 95°, well past Kingsport's 1.

A month here packs 3.8× the events of Kingsport.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

65/100

10% higher than Kingsport

vs 59/100 in Kingsport

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

·walk score®

93/100

26% higher than Kingsport

vs 74/100 in Kingsport

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

13

225% more than Kingsport

vs 4 nonstops in Kingsport

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