with $100k coming in, swapping out of Sacramento

change
El Paso, TX cityscape

swapping out of sacramento

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

$1,528

cheaper each month than Sacramento

In El Paso, rent stops being the headline. The cost gap shows up every month without you trying.
landable, recorded on the el paso entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,473/mo

34% cheaper than Sacramento(vs $2,226/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$775/mo less in state tax than Sacramento

vs 9.3% in Sacramento

03after rent

$6,860/mo

$1,528 more than Sacramento

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

04a house here

$231k

61% cheaper than Sacramento

vs $589k in Sacramento

05metro size

872k

vs 2.4M in Sacramento

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

222

pleasant days a year, in el paso.

Sacramento only manages 211 of those.

Noticeably quieter than Sacramento. About 64% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

65/100

13% lower than Sacramento

vs 75/100 in Sacramento

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

·walk score®

93/100

5% lower than Sacramento

vs 98/100 in Sacramento

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

13

54% fewer than Sacramento

vs 28 nonstops in Sacramento

04 · see also

same energy as el paso, different zip code:

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