El Paso Move GuideEl Paso surprises almost everyone — in a good way
Most people arrive with zero expectations and leave glad they came. Around 300 days of sun a year, housing costs that sit below most large U.S. metros, a serious food scene, and a commute measured in minutes, not hours. Compare the current DoD BAH table for El Paso against real listings here and judge for yourself.
Neighborhoods, by gate and commute
Northeast El Paso
Closest to the main cantonment. Shortest commutes, older housing stock, and generally a lower price per square foot than the newer far-east construction. Good if you want gate proximity above all; verify current figures for any address.
East Side & Loop 375 corridor
Newer construction, big-box shopping and restaurants, quick access to the Spur toward Biggs and East Bliss. Larger floor plans and newer inventory than the Northeast, at a longer drive from the main cantonment.
Far East & Horizon City
Typically the newest inventory and larger floor plans per dollar than closer-in areas. The trade: a longer drive and infrastructure that is still catching up. Popular with buyers who want new-construction everything.
West Side & Upper Valley
Mountain views, mature trees near the Rio Grande, closer to UTEP and downtown. Longest commute to post, shortest to the west-side employment corridor, UTEP and downtown.
BAH math: rent or buy on a three-year tour?
Look up your current rate on the official DoD BAH calculator, then ask a VA-approved lender for an estimated total payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance and any HOA) on a home in your price range, and compare the two numbers. I am a real estate sales agent, not a lender, and I do not quote rates, payments, or loan terms; your lender does.
- Renting makes sense for short tours, uncertain follow-ons, or if you'd rather not landlord after you PCS out.
- Buying on a 3-year tour is a real option, but a short hold carries a real risk of selling at a loss once transaction costs are counted. Some owners keep the home as a rental instead. Neither outcome is guaranteed and none of this is investment advice.
- Either way, run the numbers before house-hunting leave. I'll sit down with you and your lender's figures at no charge.
Juan C. Baquera Jr. is a licensed Texas real estate sales agent, not a mortgage lender or loan originator, attorney, tax advisor, or financial advisor. Nothing on this page is loan, legal, tax, or investment advice.
PCSing out of Bliss?
Two things to handle: what to do with your El Paso home (sell it, or rent it out — we'll give you an honest read on both), and finding someone good at your next duty station. I refer buyers and sellers to agents in other markets through eXp Realty's referral network and will personally make the introduction. You pay nothing for the referral; the receiving agent pays a referral fee from their commission, which I disclose in writing.