Residential comparison · 13 facts
Austin, TX vs El Paso, TX
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Austin needs about $76,000 in El Paso to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from El Paso, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $94,000 in Austin.
A few differences
- El Paso is lower on property tax rate (1.68% vs 1.8%).
- El Paso is lower on sales tax (8.2% vs 8.25%).
- El Paso is lower on groceries index (96 vs 97).
Austin vs El Paso · facet by facet
| Facet | Austin, TX | El Paso, TX |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $540,000 | $184,500 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,900/mo | $1,034/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.8% | 1.68% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 8.25% | 8.2% |
| Cost of living index | 107 | 82 |
| Groceries index | 97 | 96 |
| Utilities | $175/mo | $185/mo |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $59,745 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4% |
| Crime index | 44/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 228 days | 230 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Austin, TX · El Paso, TX
Questions & answers
- Is Austin cheaper than El Paso?
- El Paso has the lower day-to-day cost index (82 vs 107 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in El Paso equals $85,000 in Austin?
- A household earning $85,000 in Austin needs about $76,000 in El Paso to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of El Paso lifestyle costs about $94,000 in Austin.