El Paso and Laredo receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
El Paso
Laredo
Opportunity
58 · Top 44%
vs51 · Bottom 36%
Growth
44 · Bottom 34%
vs53 · Top 50%
Climate
64 · Bottom 30%
vs67 · Bottom 37%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 36%
vs70 · Top 29%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 7%
vs97 · Top 1%
Access
93 · Bottom 26%
vs90 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
45 · Bottom 26%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | El Paso | Laredo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 680,130 | 257,619 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $59,745 | $63,915 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,956 | $25,161 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,628/sq mi | 2,361/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $184,500 | $193,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,073 | $1,030 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.8% | 64.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.1% | 22.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.4% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,624 | 1,142 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 4.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -11.8% | -21.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 100°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.8" | 21.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.9 min | 23.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.5 | 29.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
El Paso
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Laredo
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: El Paso, TX · Laredo, TX · How this is calculated: methodology