Housing Report for El Paso

In El Paso, there were a total of 244,193 homes in 2005. The metro area has experienced a medium-high growth level in the number housing units, adding all together 15,396 housing units since the year 2001, or 6.7 percent.

The owner-occupied dwellings in El Paso, Texas have experienced moderate increases since their reported values in 2000. The values have increased by $9,000, or 12.9 percent, since 2000 when their medians were reported to be $69,600.

El Paso had a median home value in the year 2005 of $78,600, according to the American Community Survey. This home value is less than the overall Texas 2005 home value of $106,000 and less than median owner-occupied dwelling value of $167,500 across the United States during the same year.

El Paso can be understood as having a small, but present proportion of high-valued homes. For the year 2005, the American Community Survey counted that 0.5 percent of the homes were valued over $500,000.

Throughout the State of Texas, El Paso places 11 of the 25 metro areas in terms of percentage growth in new housing structures. The metropolitan statistical area (msa) ranks 140 of 361, comparing the percentage change in residential real estate in other US MSAs.

There seems to be a large amount of housing that is affordable in El Paso, Texas. In 2005, 80.9 percent of the homes were valued under $125,000.

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Employment Report for El Paso, Texas -- Annual 2005 Industry Summary

In El Paso, Retail Trade, Health care and social assistance, and the Accommodation and food services sectors, in terms of total employment, are the largest. Retail Trade provides the most jobs and contributes 16.8 percent of all the jobs in the Metropolitain Area. This makes up 33,110 individuals. The Health care and social assistance and Accommodation and food services industries total 15.1 and 12 percent of the total jobs, respectively.

Utilities has the largest businesses in El Paso Metro Area. The industry averages 55 jobs per place of business. This is greater than the industry's average at the national level of 34 and greater than the Texas average of 26 for the Utilities industry.

The El Paso Metropolitan Area ranks 90 of 363 throughout the US according to the relatively size of the employment base in the year 2005. This ranking has slipped behind since the year 2001, when it was ranked 88 of 363 Counties.

Manufacturing saw the largest loss of employment between the years 2001-2005 in the El Paso MSA. The sector faced a loss of 11,825 jobs, or 34.1 percent of jobs in the industry. The losses in this industry made up 88.5 percent of all Metro Area employment losses since 2001.

A top paying industry in El Paso is the utilities industry with an average annual wage of $57,302. Locally, since the year 2001, the industry annual average wages have declined by 33 percent or $28,255. The State of Texas holds a similar economic condition in the utilities sector, placing near the top of sectors according to average 2004 industry pay.

Health care and social assistance is the industry with the largest change in employment since the year 2001 in El Paso, growing by 30.4 percent. This is greater than the rate of employment change across the nation of 10.6 percent. The State of Texas encountered a change in industry employment of 14.5 percent, in the course of time since 2001.

The Manufacturing industry decreased the most in percent of total employment in the El Paso Metro Area, from the year 2001 to 2005, accounting for 18.1 percent of employment in 2001 to 11.6 percent in 2005.

In El Paso, Transportation and Warehousing, Administrative and waste services and Accommodation and food services industries, in terms of United States location quotient, are the most dominant in the region. The Transportation and Warehousing sector has a United State LQ of 1.55. This means the percent of total employment in the Transportation and Warehousing industry is 1.55 times greater than the US average, showing signs that El Paso may specialize, or be an exporter of Transportation and Warehousing.

Datasource: U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW).