Relocation
Relocation
The 4 Worst Things IF You're Moving to El Paso Texas | Better to BE Prepared Ahead of Time
What are the worst things about moving to El Paso, Texas? There are really only four to prepare for: high property taxes, real summer heat, limited entertainment, and a low state minimum wage.
If you are relocating, go in with eyes open. Property taxes run roughly 3% of your home's appraised value, though that is softened by Texas having no state income tax, and exemptions can help. Summer heat is genuine, several days above 100 degrees, but it is a dry heat and nowhere near Phoenix, which saw days above 120. Entertainment can disappoint if concerts and pro sports matter to you, since big tours and teams tend to skip the city. And the Texas minimum wage of $7.25 can make lower-wage work tight, even with the lower overall cost of living. Honestly, the team could not even come up with a fifth con, which tells you how much they like the place.
Video transcript
The 4 Worst Things About Moving to El Paso (Be Prepared)
If you're thinking about relocating to El Paso, here are four important things you need to know before making the move.
Property Taxes Are High
The first thing to be aware of is that El Paso has pretty high property taxes. While all of Texas has higher property taxes than many states, this is somewhat offset by the fact that Texas doesn't have any state income tax. In El Paso specifically, property taxes are roughly 3% of the appraised value of your home, which can definitely add up over time.
There are exemptions available that you can pursue to offset this tax burden, but it's something you absolutely need to be aware of when you're considering moving here or calculating your true cost of ownership.
Summer Heat Is Real
The second thing to keep in mind is that it does get hot here in the summer. While it's not Phoenix hot-last year Phoenix had multiple days above 120 degrees-El Paso will certainly get several days above 100 degrees. It's a dry heat, which some people find more tolerable, but once you get over 100 degrees, it's genuinely hot. Make sure you're prepared for those peak summer months.
Entertainment and Events Can Be Limited
The third thing to understand is that if you're really into entertainment-concerts, big sporting events-El Paso may not meet your expectations. Unfortunately, we get passed over by larger cities like Austin and Houston when it comes to touring concerts and major sporting events. We don't have an NFL team or our own NBA team. If live entertainment and professional sports are really important to you, you definitely want to keep this in mind when deciding whether El Paso is the right fit.
Minimum Wage Considerations
The fourth thing to know is that if you're going to work a minimum wage job in Texas, the state minimum wage is $7.25. This can make it difficult to scrape together enough income for a comfortable living. While El Paso has an overall lower cost of living, which helps offset this, it's still worth factoring into your decision if you're working in a lower-wage position.
The Wrap-Up
Honestly, we couldn't even come up with a fifth con of moving to El Paso. It's funny because as real estate agents, we always do videos about the top five cons and worst things, but we genuinely struggled to identify even four significant drawbacks. That probably shows our bias-we think El Paso is a great city. If you live here or are considering moving here, we'd love to hear what you think the worst things about El Paso are.
If you're interested in learning more about buying, selling, or relocating to El Paso, please reach out to us at Peña El Paso Realty Group.
