Higher Education in the El Paso, TX Metro Area

From the year 2000, the El Paso metro area has increased in the percent of the total population (+25) with a BA or Higher. The portion of this population has grown by 0.6 percent to a total of 17.2 percent in 2005, according to the American Community Survey. The 2005 proportion of highly educated population is less than the 2005 State of Texas percent of 25.2 and less than the US percent of 27.2.

From 2000 to 2005, the percent of male population that is highly educated has decreased by 0.2 percent. By the year 2005, 18.8 percent of the total male population, in the area, has obtained at least a Bachelors Degree. From 2000 to 2005, the percent of women with a Bachelors or Higher has increased by a total of 1.0 percent. By 2005, a total of 15.6 percent of the women in the population had received a Bachelors Degree or Higher.

In the El Paso, TX Metro Area according the 2005 American Community Survey, 17.8 percent of the White Alone, 18.4 percent of Black or African American, 24.2 percent of the Asian alone and 11.6 percent of the Hispanic or Latino population, over the age 25, has achieved at least a Bachelors Degree.

According to the 2005 American Community Survey in the El Paso, TX Metro Area, many men in the area have reached the Less than High School category, with 29 percent obtaining this level of education. The women in the El Paso metro area have on average achieved a lower level of higher education (Bachelors Degree or Higher) than the male population-- 18.8 percent (Men) versus 15.6 percent (Women). The largest educational attainment category for women is Less than High School category, with 35.4 percent of women in the area reaching this education level.

El Paso, TX Metro Area is made up of a moderately-educated population, with 17.2 percent of the population (+25) having received a BA or higher, as reported in American Community Survey of 2005. The El Paso MSA is reported having a lower percent of highly educated individuals than the State of Texas's proportion of 25.2 percent and a lower percent than the US proportion of 27.2 percent.

Datasource: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2000 Decennial Census. 2005 American Community Survey.

Demographic Profile for El Paso, TX

When calculating the total land area, the El Paso metro area encompasses a total area of 1013 square miles. This area has a high average area density of 712 persons per square mile. Other metro areas with similar densities in the US include: -- more densely populated -- Buffalo-Niagara Falls (732 per sq. mile ), Akron (776 per sq. mile ), Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford (784 per sq. mile ), -- less densely populated -- San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos (698 per sq. mile ), Flint (694 per sq. mile ), Cape Coral-Fort Myers (678 per sq. mile ).

The Census Bureau estimates in 2005 the median age in the El Paso metro area to be 30.9 years of age. The median in El Paso is less than the median in Texas of 33.2. Since the year 2000, the area has witnessed an increase in the median, when the median age was 30.0 years old. With 5.1 percent of the population in the year 2005 being made up of individuals less than 18 years old, El Paso can be understood as having a medium-high percent of individuals under 18. The working age population group (18-64) has a medium-low representation within the population, making up 61.6 percent of the population falling in this age category. The retirement (65 and over) group makes up 13.4 percent of the population. When compared to other metro areas in the United States, this represents a medium-low percent of the population.

The El Paso metro area had a population that was estimated at 721,598 for the year 2005. The total population has increased sharply, since the 2000 total population of 681,508. This growth signifies an increase of 5.9 percent. El Paso ranks 7 of 25 MSAs when calculating total change in population for Texas and the metro area ranks 67 of 361 metro areas when analyzing total MSA population change across the nation.

From 2000, a very high amount of people have migrated into the El Paso metro area, with 25,116 people migrating in internationally. The international migration into El Paso totals 3.8 percent of the total migration into the State of Texas. This percent of international migration is very high when analyzed against immigration per population in 2005.

The El Paso metropolitan statistical area (MSA) has a population that is comprised of 14.6 percent White, 2.5 percent African American, 0.9 percent Asian, and 81.2 percent Hispanic. The population mix can be considered to have a very high amount of racial and ethnic diversity, with 84.6 percent of minorities in the 2005 population base. This is greater than the State of Texas percent of 49.5. Since 2000, El Paso has increased the percent of minority makeup when 82.0 percent of the total population were minorities.

Datasource: Population Estimates Program, U.S. Bureau of the Census.