El Paso Texas Residential Rent and Rental Statistics
The median monthly gross residential rent in El Paso, TX (the El Paso metro area) was $849 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in El Paso was $853 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 El Paso median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.
Data is also available below for El Paso rental vacancy rates, El Paso rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in El Paso.
Real Gross Rent in El Paso Texas (2019 dollars)2
| 2019 | 1 Year Change | 3 Year Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Median Gross Rent | $1,097 | +1.86% | +6.82% |
| Texas Median Gross Rent | $1,091 | +2.44% | +8.99% |
| El Paso, TX Median Gross Rent | $849 | +4.30% | +5.20% |
El Paso, TX Real Gross Rent Trends
Median gross rent for El Paso peaked in real terms in 2017 at $852 and is now $3 (0.35%) lower. Average gross rent for El Paso peaked in real terms in 2017 at $853 and is now $0 (0.00%) lower.
Real Gross Rent in El Paso: El Paso TX Median, El Paso TX Average, Texas Median, US Median
Real Gross Rent History for El Paso
| Date | US Median |
Texas Median |
El Paso, TX Median |
El Paso, TX Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $1,097 | $1,091 | $849 | $853 |
| 2018 | $1,077 | $1,065 | $814 | $816 |
| 2017 | $1,043 | $1,018 | $852 | $853 |
| 2016 | $1,027 | $1,001 | $807 | $796 |
| 2015 | $1,017 | $989 | $803 | $768 |
| 2014 | $986 | $946 | $780 | $760 |
| 2013 | $953 | $902 | $789 | $780 |
| 2012 | $940 | $884 | $772 | $758 |
| 2011 | $941 | $878 | $766 | $770 |
| 2010 | $955 | $895 | $744 | $743 |
| 2009 | $960 | $898 | $711 | $704 |
| 2007 | $927 | $862 | $660 | $650 |
| 2005 | $910 | $839 | $633 | $609 |
El Paso Rental Vacancy Rate
The rental vacancy rate is the fraction of homes for rent that are not occupied.3 In 2019 the rental vacancy rate for El Paso Texas was 12.04% according to Census ACS data.
Rental Vacancy Rate in El Paso Texas
| 2019 | 1 Year Change | 3 Year Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 5.97% | -0.18% | +0.08% |
| Texas | 8.15% | -0.06% | +0.50% |
| El Paso, TX | 12.04% | +2.58% | +1.94% |
Trends in El Paso, TX Rental Vacancy Rate
At 12.04%, El Paso residential rental vacancy rate in 2019 is at the highest point since 2005, the beginning of our reporting for this series.
Rental Vacancy Rate: El Paso TX, Texas, US
Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for El Paso
| Date | US | Texas | El Paso, TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5.97% | 8.15% | 12.04% |
| 2018 | 6.15% | 8.21% | 9.46% |
| 2017 | 6.18% | 8.49% | 10.84% |
| 2016 | 5.89% | 7.65% | 10.10% |
| 2015 | 5.85% | 6.95% | 9.67% |
| 2014 | 6.32% | 7.30% | 10.85% |
| 2013 | 6.49% | 7.86% | 8.44% |
| 2012 | 6.77% | 8.53% | 7.02% |
| 2011 | 7.40% | 9.23% | 4.61% |
| 2010 | 8.17% | 10.60% | 8.15% |
| 2009 | 8.43% | 10.69% | 6.23% |
| 2007 | 7.87% | 10.61% | 10.48% |
| 2005 | 7.74% | 10.60% | 7.25% |
Rent as a Fraction of Income
Using median household income data for El Paso, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For El Paso, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 20.87% in 2019 according to the ACS.
El Paso Texas Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income
| 2019 | 1 Year Change | 3 Year Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 20.03% | -0.47% | -0.40% |
| Texas | 20.45% | -0.26% | +0.16% |
| El Paso, TX | 20.87% | -1.02% | -1.10% |
Trends in El Paso, TX Rent as a Fraction of Income
The fraction of median El Paso household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2013 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 22.54%. Since then it has fallen by 1.67% to 20.87%.
Fraction of Income towards Rent: El Paso TX, Texas, US
Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in El Paso Texas
| Date | US | Texas | El Paso, TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 20.03% | 20.45% | 20.87% |
| 2018 | 20.50% | 20.70% | 21.89% |
| 2017 | 20.13% | 20.00% | 22.32% |
| 2016 | 20.43% | 20.28% | 21.97% |
| 2015 | 20.63% | 20.10% | 20.82% |
| 2014 | 20.89% | 20.27% | 22.10% |
| 2013 | 20.78% | 19.89% | 22.54% |
| 2012 | 20.65% | 19.65% | 21.59% |
| 2011 | 20.70% | 19.75% | 21.50% |
| 2010 | 20.50% | 19.77% | 22.19% |
| 2009 | 20.12% | 19.59% | 20.72% |
| 2007 | 18.66% | 18.52% | 19.28% |
| 2005 | 18.89% | 19.11% | 19.61% |
Renter Fraction in El Paso Texas
You can calculate the renter fraction in El Paso in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in El Paso as a fraction of total El Paso households. In 2019 39.50% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.
El Paso Fraction of Renters by Household Units
| 2019 | 1 Year Change | 3 Year Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 35.89% | -0.16% | -0.99% |
| Texas | 38.12% | -0.16% | -0.79% |
| El Paso, TX | 39.50% | +0.60% | -0.45% |
Trends in the El Paso, TX Renter Fraction
The El Paso household renter fraction peaked in in 2016 at 39.95% and is now 0.45% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.
Fraction of Renting Households: El Paso TX, Texas, US
History of El Paso Renter Fraction
| Date | US | Texas | El Paso, TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 35.89% | 38.12% | 39.50% |
| 2018 | 36.05% | 38.28% | 38.90% |
| 2017 | 36.13% | 38.03% | 38.76% |
| 2016 | 36.88% | 38.91% | 39.95% |
| 2015 | 36.97% | 38.94% | 38.47% |
| 2014 | 36.90% | 38.84% | 38.47% |
| 2013 | 36.50% | 38.16% | 39.06% |
| 2012 | 36.09% | 37.72% | 39.05% |
| 2011 | 35.42% | 37.08% | 39.44% |
| 2010 | 34.65% | 36.42% | 37.04% |
| 2009 | 34.13% | 36.32% | 38.63% |
| 2007 | 32.80% | 34.82% | 35.17% |
| 2005 | 33.10% | 35.29% | 34.81% |
1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability. ↩
2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series. ↩
3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied. ↩
