El Paso’s unemplyment rate is at an all time low, their crime rate as well. The city’s overall cost of living is super affordable and there’s a bunch of cool stuff to do in The Sun City. So, what’s stopping you from living in one of the best neighborhoods in one of the best cities in Texas? If it’s because you don’t know where those neighborhoods are located, don’t stress, HomeSnacks is here to help: we’ve created a list of the best neighborhoods in El Paso for 2026 and listed them below.
El Paso is known for many things, but you might be surprised to know that it’s one of the only border cities in the southern United States to make the list of safest cities in America for 2026 or that 25% of its residents have graduated from college; but, what’s definitely going to knock your socks off, you can get a house in of the best neighborhoods, Album Park for $124,083.
Yes, El Paso’s top ten best neighborhoods scored off the charts on our SnackAbility scale for safety, affordability, unemployment rates, and amenities. But, to really get down to the nitty gritty, we looked at the median income and median home price for each one of El Paso’s 47 neighborhoods. And, folks, the data doesn’t lie: El Chuco’s top ten best neighborhoods are very snack worthy and very distinct.
Sadly, however, there can only be one number one best neighborhood in El Paso for 2026 and that neighborhood is below. So, grab yourself some carne asada street tacos, a sunny spot next to the border, and keep reading.
$91,569 median income · $286,100 median home value
$51,676 median income · $152,000 median home value
$60,295 median income · $178,200 median home value
$88,478 median income · $185,983 median home value
$59,056 median income · $171,900 median home value
$80,715 median income · $170,650 median home value
$54,962 median income · $135,033 median home value
$79,050 median income · $195,429 median home value
$82,054 median income · $306,533 median home value
$91,986 median income · $223,525 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Texas’s statewide median.
Texas statewide median: $78,476
Texas statewide median: $300,957
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best El Paso, TX neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in El Paso, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 47 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In El Paso.” We’re lookin’ at you, Rim Area.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places El Paso, Texas has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in El Paso.
The full plate
Table: Best El Paso neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rim Area | 1,005 | $286,100 | $91,569 |
| 2 | Cielo Vista | 21,378 | $152,000 | $51,676 |
| 3 | Las Palmas | 1,628 | $178,200 | $60,295 |
| 4 | North Hills | 13,125 | $185,983 | $88,478 |
| 5 | Montoya Heights | 1,589 | $171,900 | $59,056 |
| 6 | Coronado | 7,626 | $170,650 | $80,715 |
| 7 | Album Park | 13,254 | $135,033 | $54,962 |
| 8 | Northwest | 91,023 | $195,429 | $79,050 |
| 9 | Silver Springs Village | 1,916 | $306,533 | $82,054 |
| 10 | Mountain Arroyos | 2,407 | $223,525 | $91,986 |
| 11 | East Side | 140,105 | $147,856 | $65,511 |
| 12 | Mesa Hills | 9,717 | $151,060 | $39,994 |
| 13 | Mission Hills | 3,772 | $156,367 | $69,018 |
| 14 | El Paso High | 3,211 | $116,550 | $32,051 |
| 15 | Friends Of Karl Wyler | 828 | $114,200 | $28,887 |
| 16 | Save The Valley 21 | 19,330 | $86,000 | $32,964 |
| 17 | Redd-Mulberry | 358 | $184,700 | $74,971 |
| 18 | Manhattan Heights | 1,992 | $106,829 | $39,072 |
| 19 | Borderland | 2,005 | $156,450 | $62,442 |
| 20 | Five Points | 8,981 | $101,469 | $34,093 |
| 21 | Las Tierras | 26,176 | $152,414 | $62,425 |
| 22 | Lower Valley | 51,733 | $88,900 | $34,999 |
| 23 | Roberts | 4,157 | $114,667 | $34,604 |
| 24 | Northeast | 90,100 | $108,274 | $46,403 |
| 25 | Castner Heights | 1,316 | $150,550 | $62,228 |
| 26 | Stoneridge | 132 | $130,100 | $37,422 |
| 27 | Medina | 1,136 | $102,500 | $48,125 |
| 28 | Lakeside | 1,821 | $90,500 | $22,921 |
| 29 | Golden Hills | 2,684 | $118,533 | $28,285 |
| 30 | United | 3,129 | $90,700 | $31,264 |
| 31 | Thomas Manor | 5,004 | $100,650 | $31,475 |
| 32 | Houston Park | 1,736 | $103,600 | $26,183 |
| 33 | El Paso Lower Valley | 4,079 | $66,875 | $22,933 |
| 34 | Central | 42,696 | $106,767 | $35,355 |
| 35 | Sunset Heights | 2,231 | $98,300 | $50,568 |
| 36 | Ysleta Mission Valley | 8,622 | $82,650 | $38,065 |
| 37 | Pasadena | 5,766 | $99,400 | $24,596 |
| 38 | Carpenter | 350 | $108,450 | $26,492 |
| 39 | San Juan | 2,285 | $93,360 | $21,741 |
| 40 | Chamizal | 1,235 | $79,700 | $18,520 |
| 41 | Alameda Business | 1,404 | $83,525 | $18,650 |
| 42 | Buena Vista | 32 | $86,300 | $70,240 |
| 43 | A Presidential Neighborhood | 469 | $83,333 | $21,864 |
| 44 | Eagle | 2,760 | $26,300 | $14,812 |
| 45 | Magoffin | 1,585 | $62,150 | $14,837 |
| 46 | Chihuahuita | 223 | $38,300 | $18,594 |
| 47 | South Mesa | 649 | $38,300 | $13,676 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 47 El Paso neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in El Paso
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in El Paso where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in El Paso are Rim Area, Cielo Vista, Las Palmas, North Hills, Montoya Heights, Coronado, Album Park, Northwest, Silver Springs Village, and Mountain Arroyos.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in El Paso aren’t all good. South Mesa takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in El Paso.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Texas? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In El Paso FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in El Paso?
Rim Area is the best neighborhood in El Paso for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Cielo Vista and Las Palmas are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in El Paso?
The best neighborhoods in El Paso are Rim Area, Cielo Vista, Las Palmas, North Hills, Montoya Heights, Coronado, Album Park, Northwest, Silver Springs Village, and Mountain Arroyos. We ranked all 47 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Rim Area?
The median household income in Rim Area is $91,569 and the median home costs $286,100. The best blocks in El Paso rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank El Paso neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Rim Area, takes the top spot.
Which El Paso neighborhood ranked last?
South Mesa came in last of the 47 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in El Paso the numbers put it there.
