on $100k a year, leaving Salem

change
El Paso, TX cityscape

next stop after salem

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

$898

lighter monthly cost than Salem

El Paso sits well below Salem on cost. Same paycheck, a noticeably lighter month.
landable, recorded on the el paso entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,473/mo

10% cheaper than Salem(vs $1,642/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$729/mo less in state tax than Salem

vs 8.75% in Salem

03after rent

$6,860/mo

$898 more than Salem

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

04a house here

$231k

49% cheaper than Salem

vs $452k in Salem

05metro size

872k

vs 437k in Salem

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

222

pleasant days a year, in el paso.

Salem keeps to 201 pleasant days a year. Bring the AC. 60 days a year clear 95°, well past Salem's 2.

A month here packs 30.0× the events of Salem.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

65/100

6% lower than Salem

vs 69/100 in Salem

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

·walk score®

93/100

6% higher than Salem

vs 88/100 in Salem

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

13

0% fewer than Salem

vs 0 nonstops in Salem

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