El Paso is a city located in El Paso County Texas. El Paso has a 2024 population of 678,859. It is also the county seat of El Paso County. El Paso is currently declining at a rate of -0.01% annually and its population has decreased by -0.06% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 679,255 in 2020.
The average household income in El Paso is $75,349 with a poverty rate of 18.94%. The median age in El Paso is 33.7 years: 31.9 years for males, and 35.4 years for females.
The estimated population of El Paso gives it a population density of 2,500 people per square mile (980/square mile). The larger metropolitan area, covering all of Hudspeth and El Paso counties, has a population of 837,000 while the El Paso-Las Cruces CSA has a population of 1.05 million. Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso form a broad international metropolitan area often called the Paso del Norte or the El Paso-Juarez-Las Cruces with more than 2.7 million residents. This constitutes the Western Hemisphere's largest bilingual, binational work force.
El Paso has been ranked as one of the top three safest large U.S. cities since 1997 and the safest for the last three years. The city is known for its strong military presence, including Biggs Army Airfield and Fort Bliss -- one of the largest U.S. Army military complexes and the country's largest training area. El Paso is also the headquarters for the U.S. Border Patrol Special Operations Group, the Joint Task Force North, and the El Paso Intelligence Center.
While the Texas population grew by 20% from 2000 to 2010, El Paso grew by 15% during the same period. A great deal of the growth is attributed to people leaving the fringe communities and moving into the large urban center of El Paso. The increase in the Hispanic population is attributed to immigration and high fertility rates. It's believed Hispanics and Latinos will have an 85% share of the population by 2020, although the military presence and university will maintain diversity in the city.
The El Paso area has been inhabited for thousands of years, initially by maize farmers. When the Spanish arrived, the Suma, Manso, and Jumano people lived in the area and were incorporated later into the Mestizo culture with immigrants from other parts of Texas.
Spanish explorer Don Juan de Onate was the first New Spain or Mexican explorer to see the Rio Grande near El Paso, celebrating Thanksgiving Mass in the area in 1598, which was decades before the famous Pilgrims' Thanksgiving.
Fray Garcia de San Francisco established the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission of El Paso del Norte in 1659. It was the construction of this mission that allowed the village of El Paso del Norte to grow.
The Texas Revolution in 1836 did not affect the area much, although Texas claimed the El Paso area as part of a treaty with Mexico. The village of El Paso remained a self-governing community with Texan and Mexican representatives until Texas took full control in 1846. Americans continued settling in the area during this time.
The city of El Paso experienced a booming population when the railroads arrived, with the population exploding by more than 9,000 between 1881 and 1890. Most were Americans from Texas. The city became a violent boomtown called the Six Shooter Capital with gambling and prostitution flourishing until WWI when the Army pressured authorities to crack down on the city's vices.
By 1920, the population was more than 100,000 with a white majority. It wasn't until 1965 that Hispanics once more claimed a majority in the city.
The first bridge crossing the Rio Grande at El Paso del Norte was constructed more than 250 years ago. There are now several bridges serving the area, including the Santa Fe Street Bridge, the Bridge of the Americas, and the Ysleta Bridge.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of El Paso was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 334,767 | 49.44% |
Two or more races | 202,616 | 29.92% |
Other race | 100,265 | 14.81% |
Black or African American | 24,082 | 3.56% |
Asian | 9,616 | 1.42% |
Native American | 4,649 | 0.69% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 1,186 | 0.18% |
White
Two or more races
Other race
Black or African American
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 239,624 | 2.8 | 59.5 | 40.5 |
Married | 107,124 | 3.57 | 72.5 | 27.5 |
Non Family | 72,898 | 1.19 | 46.9 | 53.1 |
Female | 44,179 | 3.45 | 49.2 | 50.8 |
Male | 15,423 | 3.18 | 57.7 | 42.3 |
3.42
Average Family Size
2.8
Average Household Size
59.5%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 34,246 | 8% |
Associates Degree | 37,184 | 8.68% |
Bachelors Degree | 77,392 | 18.07% |
Graduate Degree | 38,783 | 9.06% |
High School Graduate | 101,027 | 23.59% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 45,179 | 10.55% |
Some College | 94,472 | 22.06% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 341,713 | 266,572 | 79,760 |
2+ Races | 123,122 | 97,058 | 32,638 |
Other Race | 65,374 | 45,549 | 10,014 |
White | 59,372 | 56,917 | 25,596 |
Black | 15,851 | 15,104 | 5,200 |
Asian | 6,692 | 5,870 | 3,632 |
Native American | 3,156 | 2,788 | 940 |
Islander | 628 | 590 | 150 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.87%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 54.27%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $53,613 | $61,521 | $46,659 |
Graduate Degree | $72,805 | $85,351 | $64,575 |
High School Graduate | $29,652 | $34,472 | $21,936 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $21,396 | $26,995 | $16,382 |
Overall | $36,943 | $42,823 | $30,948 |
Some College | $33,558 | $39,971 | $28,967 |
$36,943
Average Earnings
$42,823
Average Male
$30,948
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
33.03% of El Paso residents speak only English, while 66.97% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 64.82% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 547,833 | 112,055 | 20.45% |
Multiple | 201,640 | 42,154 | 20.91% |
Other | 98,162 | 23,538 | 23.98% |
White | 80,400 | 8,823 | 10.97% |
Black | 23,501 | 3,212 | 13.67% |
Asian | 9,563 | 1,457 | 15.24% |
Native | 4,643 | 703 | 15.14% |
Islander | 1,165 | 495 | 42.49% |
18.94%
Overall Poverty Rate
16.78%
Male Poverty Rate
21.03%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in El Paso is Islander, with 42.49% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in El Paso is White, with 10.97% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 5.17%. Among those working part-time, it was 21.22%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 27.71%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 32.27% |
High School | 17.7% |
Some College | 13.01% |
Bachelors or Greater | 5.61% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 35.98% |
Male Unemployed | 25.84% |
Female Employed | 11.48% |
Male Employed | 8.54% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $63,067 | $84,323 |
Households | $55,710 | $75,349 |
Married Families | $78,284 | $101,112 |
Non Families | $32,173 | $49,850 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
44.7%
Overall Marriage Rate
47.0%
Male Marriage Rate
42.5%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
40,867
Number of Veterans
35,970
Male Veterans
4,897
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Second Gulf War | 17,948 |
First Gulf War | 11,224 |
Vietnam | 10,026 |
Korea | 2,091 |
World War II | 415 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
35 to 54 | 13,241 |
18 to 34 | 7,549 |
65 to 74 | 6,824 |
75+ | 6,656 |
55 to 64 | 6,597 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
Hispanic | 23,299 | 5.79% |
White | 22,993 | 9.42% |
2+ Races | 8,531 | 5.83% |
Black | 5,126 | 31.44% |
Other Race | 3,333 | 4.41% |
Asian | 493 | 6.77% |
Native American | 324 | 9.59% |
Islander | 67 | 8.29% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
8.56%
Veteran Poverty Rate
31.05%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
62.7%
Labor Force Participation
56.4%
Employment Rate
6.8%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
58.19%
Born in El Paso
77.37%
Native Born
22.63%
Foreign Born
10.34%
Non Citizen
12.29%
Naturalized
77.37% of El Paso residents were born in the United States, with 58.19% having been born in Texas. 10.34% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 678,364 | -99 | -0.01% |
2028 | 678,463 | -99 | -0.01% |
2027 | 678,562 | -99 | -0.01% |
2026 | 678,661 | -99 | -0.01% |
2025 | 678,760 | -99 | -0.01% |
2024 | 678,859 | -99 | -0.01% |
2023 | 678,958 | 1,170 | 0.17% |
2022 | 677,788 | -483 | -0.07% |
2021 | 678,271 | -984 | -0.14% |
2020 | 679,255 | -773 | -0.11% |
2019 | 680,028 | 1,476 | 0.22% |
2018 | 678,552 | -1,426 | -0.21% |
2017 | 679,978 | 977 | 0.14% |
2016 | 679,001 | 3,440 | 0.51% |
2015 | 675,561 | -1,103 | -0.16% |
2014 | 676,664 | 2,302 | 0.34% |
2013 | 674,362 | -226 | -0.03% |
2012 | 674,588 | 10,447 | 1.57% |
2011 | 664,141 | 13,659 | 2.1% |
2010 | 650,482 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 563,662 | 48,320 | 9.38% |
1990 | 515,342 | 90,083 | 21.18% |
1980 | 425,259 | 102,998 | 31.96% |
1970 | 322,261 | 45,574 | 16.47% |
1960 | 276,687 | 146,202 | 112.05% |
1950 | 130,485 | 33,675 | 34.78% |
1940 | 96,810 | -5,611 | -5.48% |
1930 | 102,421 | 24,861 | 32.05% |
1920 | 77,560 | 38,281 | 97.46% |
1910 | 39,279 | 23,373 | 146.94% |
1900 | 15,906 | 5,568 | 53.86% |
1890 | 10,338 | 9,638 | 1376.86% |
1880 | 700 | -677,664 | -99.9% |