El Paso vs Pharr
The short version
- Pharr is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the El Paso area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $121,900 in Pharr and $184,500 in El Paso.
- Households earn more in El Paso ($59,745 vs $52,814 median).
- Pharr has the warmer winter: January highs of 73°F vs 59°F.
- Pharr has more scorching days: 177 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 117.
Side by side
| El Paso, TX | Pharr, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 683,012 | 80,830 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.6% | +1.4% |
| People per square mile | 2,639 | 3,344 |
| Median age | 34.5 | 29.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28% | 19% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $59,745 | $52,814 |
| Median home value | $184,500 | $121,900 |
| Home value to income | 3.1× | 2.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,073 | $1,037 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.9 | 85.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 71.2 | 55.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,400 | $64,400 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 59% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.4 | 21.1 |
| Work from home | 9% | 7% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6% | 7.2% |
| Poverty rate | 18.4% | 27.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 35° | 73° / 53° |
| July high / low | 96° / 73° | 99° / 79° |
| Precipitation per year | 9 in | 22 in |
| Snowfall per year | 3 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 117 | 177 |
| Nights below freezing | 42 | 1 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.5 | 99.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 18% | 44% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.2% | +7.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +48% | +54.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: El Paso: March to April and October to November. Pharr: November to March.
Full monthly tables: El Paso weather by month and Pharr weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $67,400 in El Paso and $64,400 in Pharr. Moving from El Paso to Pharr, you would need about $71,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between El Paso and Pharr
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from El Paso and Pharr.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.