same $100k income, fresh start from Orlando

change
El Paso, TX cityscape

instead of orlando

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

$464

cheaper each month than Orlando

Not a fortune, but real money. El Paso runs cheaper than Orlando month over month.
landable, recorded on the el paso entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,473/mo

24% cheaper than Orlando(vs $1,937/mo)

02state income tax

0%

vs 0% in Orlando

03after rent

$6,860/mo

$464 more than Orlando

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

04a house here

$231k

43% cheaper than Orlando

vs $402k in Orlando

05metro size

872k

vs 2.8M in Orlando

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

222

pleasant days a year, in el paso.

Orlando keeps to 216 pleasant days a year. Bring the AC. 60 days a year clear 95°, well past Orlando's 10.

But the calendar thins out: Orlando stays 5.2× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

65/100

5% higher than Orlando

vs 62/100 in Orlando

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

·walk score®

93/100

4% lower than Orlando

vs 97/100 in Orlando

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

13

91% fewer than Orlando

vs 146 nonstops in Orlando

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