Rent vs buy in El Paso, TX
A 7-year breakeven using this ZIP's actual home-value and rent trends, not national averages. ZIP 79901 (El Paso County).
Buying wins in El Paso over 7 years — about $39,043 cheaper than renting, with $78,431 in equity built.
7-year cost comparison
$66,331
Net cost over 7 years after equity
Equity built: $78,431
$105,374
Total rent paid over 7 years
No equity, no selling costs
Assumes 20% down, 6.75% rate, 4.1%/yr price growth and 3.0%/yr rent growth (this ZIP's 5-yr trend).
Price-to-rent ratio
9.5x
Favorable for buying — price-to-rent favors owning (modeled investor cash flow is negative, so this is owner-occupant math — it is not a claim of strong rental yield)
Price-to-income
2.2x
Affordable (≤3x income — historical rule of thumb)
5-yr price CAGR
4.1%
Annualized home-value growth
El Paso — rent vs buy questions
Is El Paso, TX a good rental market?
For owning at the median, yes — El Paso's price-to-rent ratio of 9.5 is in the favorable range, but modeled investor cash flow is negative, so it is not a claim of strong rental yield.
What is the median home value in El Paso?
The typical home value in El Paso is about $130,485 (ZIP-level market index, cross-checked against the Census ACS county median updated by FHFA HPI), up 3.3% year-over-year, and up 22.4% over five years.
What is the median rent in El Paso?
The typical rent in El Paso is about $1,146/mo (county-level, HUD 2-bedroom benchmark bridged from Census ACS gross rent), a current modeled estimate.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in El Paso?
Over a 7-year horizon, buying is cheaper in El Paso — roughly $39,043 ahead of renting, with about $78,431 in equity built.
Is El Paso affordable for homebuyers?
El Paso's median home value is 2.2x the local median household income — Affordable (≤3x income — historical rule of thumb).
Data: FHFA HPI, Census ACS, HUD FMR, FBI CDE. For research only — verify before deciding.