El Paso. Translated from Spanish, it’s short for El Paso de Norte, or The Passageway to the North. And it’s also the city the Steven Miller Band tried to rhyme with “big hassle.” So, what’s in it for you when you move to El Paso? Here’s what you need to know about this beautiful southern locale.
Why Move to El Paso?
But before you take the money and run, it’s only fair to inform potential new El Paso residents about the various other aspects offered by the city. In addition to being a short distance from the U.S.-Mexico border, El Paso features the single largest urban wilderness area in the country that also happens to include a mountain. That’s right; the state with the stereotype for long stretches of flat land boasts a 23-mile mountain range. And it’s an actual mountain range, not a bunch of hills with really large hats on their peaks trying to fool everybody.
El Paso: We’ve Got Mountains. Florida Doesn’t. How Bout Dat?
And because it’s got mountains, El Paso offers residents plenty of opportunities to see indigenous wildlife like mountain lions, eagles, and bears, or indulge in outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and biking. Hopefully, you won’t see a mountain lion while you’re camping; it’s hard to enjoy the great outdoors when you’re being stalked by something that can eat your feet.
But even if the outdoor lifestyle doesn’t suit you, odds will be good you’ll find plenty in El Paso that does.
Living in El Paso
In June 2019, U.S. News ranked El Paso as the 14th Safest U.S. City out of the top 25. Now we know what you’re probably thinking, and no, El Paso didn’t get the ranking because it’s a city in Texas. Contrary to popular belief, the state of Texas does not issue every resident a gun, Stetson hat, and cowboy boots (although all three can be legally purchased at any of the fine El Paso retailers).
But El Paso sits within the Texas state borders, which means cowboy culture will be prevalent in the clothes, music, steak houses, and the rodeos.
Side note: it’s a bit surprising that, as popular as rodeos and cowboy culture can be in El Paso, the rodeo clown look never really caught on in a fashion sense. Take that for what you will.
Speaking of moving quickly, residents in El Paso learn to deal with traffic jams, although the usage of bicycles has started to improve in the last years.
Working in El Paso
The Census ACS 1-year survey reported the median household income for the El Paso Texas metro area was $44,416 in 2017, with the median household income sitting $14,790 lower than the median Texas household income and $15,920 less than the US median household income.
You read that right: almost $16,000 less than the median U.S. household income. Get out there now before the rest of the country reads that hyperlink.
In addition to its low cost of living, El Paso also doesn’t have a state income tax and the in-city prices for goods and services rates just a little lower compared to the rest of the country. Housing and rental units have a sufficient inventory (just remember the flooding concerns), and so far the influx of new residents has not driven costs up.
And if all that wasn’t enough, more than 70 different Fortune 500 companies have offices in El Paso, so if you’re looking for work, you won’t have to look very hard. And that’s not including the jobs offered by the various military and federal offices.
Weather Outlook for Moving to El Paso
The El Paso summers tend to be hot and long, the winters short and cold, and the climate gets dominated by dryness and clear skies. Temperatures range from the lows of the mid-30s to the highs of 100, although Mother Nature tends to get tricky about length and volume.
If you’re moving to El Paso, consider the joys of a perpetual summer wardrobe. The city gets more than 300 days of sunshine and only about 9 inches of rain of year. However, two things should be taken into consideration: firstly, even though the temperatures can hit 100 degrees, the possibility of snow in the winter does exist. It sounds crazy, yes, but remember Mother Nature gets tricky in El Paso. Also, there seems to be some inherent logic that having mountain ranges should automatically translate to mean “possible chance of snow.”
Apparently, El Paso translates to “varied climate” in some language.
Secondly, when the rain does occur, the city has been known to flood. Not “disaster movie” flood, but it might seem that way the first time you experience it. Flood insurance should be strongly considered, although renters might be out of luck in that department. Keep an eye on the weather forecasts; if rain appears imminent, bring the umbrella and be prepared to seek higher ground if a flood occurs.
Things to Do after Moving to El Paso
To be brief: Plaza Theatre for the theater experience; Hueco Tanks, McKelligon Canyon, or Franklin Mountains for climbing and hiking; the Wyler Aerial Tramway for the view; the El Paso Rhinos for ice hockey (ice hockey in Texas! Mother Nature is REALLY tricky!); and the Municipal Rose Garden because it’s pretty.
The Culture of El Paso
Tex-Mex features heavily into the food culture in El Paso, which can only be understandable; you don’t expect to find Cali Mex in Texas, after all. But the city also favors a variety of food offerings, especially Italian. And it’s also supposedly the origin site of the margarita.
Take the Money and…Call Colonial
El Paso is awesome. El Paso is crazy affordable. And El Paso is beautiful. Sound like a winning combination for a new residency? Let us help.
Making a move to a new region can be an intimidating prospect, and we get that moving can be stressful. Moving down the street is stressful, but moving to a new state can be downright horrifying. But don’t panic; Colonial Van Lines has the experience and the expertise to make sure your moving experience will be straight forward and stress free.
Call a Colonial Van Lines professional and find out how to start your journey to El Paso.