Moving to El Paso, TX? Read Our Ultimate Moving Guide

The city of El Paso is often named as one of the most affordable cities in the United States, sometimes listed as the one with the lowest cost of living in the entire country. So, if you’re moving to El Paso, you can benefit from all the amenities of big-city living in a truly affordable way. The city also appears on lists for locales with low crime rates.

You might be moving to El Paso for work – the city is home to Fortune 500 companies, and plenty of employment opportunities exist. Plus, the weather is gorgeous in “The Sun City” with mild winters and a wide range of outdoor activities to enjoy. The presence of Fort Bliss means that military families live in the city.

With a population of about 685,000 people, El Paso is the 24th largest city in the United States in 2022 and the sixth largest in the state of Texas.

To help with your relocation, our El Paso moving guide shares important info about life in this fascinating Texas city. To plan your move with a trusted moving company, please contact our El Paso movers.

In-Demand El Paso Suburbs

If you love the idea of the affordable El Paso lifestyle but would prefer a bit less hustle and bustle, here are a few suburbs to consider. You’ll be close to the amenities of big city living while enjoying a suburban feel. Ones to consider include:

• Canutillo: With a population of about 5,000 people, it can be an attractive place for young professionals and families. It’s located close to El Paso as well as being near New Mexico and the country of Mexico. Homes are affordable and the schools have a good teacher-to-student ratio.
• Socorro: Larger than Canutillo with a population of around 35,000, this suburb has somewhat of a rural ambiance. Schools are rated above average, making it a nice haven for families—and, as a continuing theme, the cost of living is lower than average.
• Westway: This intimate community has about 3,500 residents with an average age of thirty-eight. That’s about six years older than the median age for the El Paso metro area, and it’s a wonderfully diverse town.

Living in the El Paso metro area provides plenty of options: from big city life in El Paso proper to more suburban, even rural, choices. If this sounds like the right place for you, here’s more information about moving to El Paso.

El Paso Neighborhoods

Castner Heights: Located on the city’s NE side, it’s easy to get downtown from this in-demand neighborhood. Residents are often young professionals or middle-class families; military families appreciate how it’s conveniently located near Fort Bliss. Housing is affordable, the neighborhood is safer than average, and there are quality schools.

Silver Springs Village: If you’re looking for a community with desirable homes in a diverse cultural ambiance, then Silver Springs Village is one to consider. People tend to live close to their workplaces and the neighborhood is filled with restaurants, bars, shops, entertainment, parks, and more.

Via Hermosa: Families and young professionals appreciate this neighborhood, as well, because of the high-rated schools, parks, safer living, and employment opportunities located nearby. This is also a culturally diverse community.

Mountain View: Many residents are families of active or retired military personnel with this neighborhood known for its seven parks and two lakes. Ideal for people who love being outdoors, it’s also known as one of the safer neighborhoods in the El Paso metro area.

This is just a smattering of the great neighborhoods in El Paso. There are also homes and apartments available in the historic portion of downtown El Paso along with numerous other intriguing communities. So, explore! Find the one that fits your lifestyle, interests, and budget—and, if you’re ready to relocate, contact our El Paso movers.

Getting Around El Paso

Sun Metro provides public transportation in El Paso, and here is information about riding the bus, including the routes. You can take your bicycle with you to combine public transportation and biking. If you drive to the bus location, you can typically park your car for free or for a nominal fee. Sun Metro runs street cars, as well, with extended hours.

The El Paso International Airport is billed as the “gateway to West Texas, Southern New Mexico, and Northern Mexico!” From the airport, you can rent cars, use a shuttle, ride a bus, hail a taxi, or benefit from prearranged rides. Plus, here’s an overview of their parking.

The city has more than 1,700 parking meters, mostly in the downtown area. You can pay in quarters or dollar coins. If you use a credit card, use a MasterCard or Visa. Or, you can pay by Park 915, a convenient cell phone app. In general, the rate is a dollar per hour.

Plus, one report lists El Paso as the fifth most bike-friendly city in the United States.

Things to Do for Families

The city contains plenty of parks that include trails, aquatic centers, recreation centers, sports programs, and more for people of all ages. Ascarate Park is the biggest recreational park in the county for public use. Families can picnic, fish, golf, stroll a lakeside boardwalk, rent canoes, play tennis, basketball, and handball, and more.

Plus, the 24,247-acre Franklin Mountains State Park is one of our country’s largest, and families can bike, hike, and camp. Kids can also geocache, seeking treasure and then hiding it for the next person to enjoy.

The El Paso Zoo is home to animals from Africa—from lions to zebras, giraffes, and more—and the Americas: spider monkeys, alligators, and more. Tigers, tapirs, sun bears, and more originate from Asia while wolves, prairie dogs, and more come from the Chihuahuan Desert. Families can hitch a ride on the African Star Train for a small fee to observe wild animals while children can enjoy free play in five tree houses. There’s a carousel that features hand-painted animals that represent endangered species, an interactive water park, and more.

The El Paso area contains exhibits that highlight 14,000 years of prehistory at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Exhibits are changed to continue to engage interest as the museum highlights how American Indians lived: from the Ice Age all the way through to modern-day descendants.

La Nube will open in 2023, serving as a “hands-on center of imagination, exploration, and creativity designed for children and adults to embrace their natural curiosity and learn through play.” This four-storied center will have 70,000 square feet of space to explore and enjoy.

Meanwhile, the Western Playland Amusement Park offers fun to thrilling rides with some appropriate for children and others for older siblings and adults. You can pay at the door for unlimited rides for the day or pay per ride; the park offers military discounts.

Education in El Paso

Throughout Texas, school districts are independent with no governmental oversight. They have their own taxing authority. If you hear a district referred to as “consolidated,” this means that two or more districts combined to form a merged district. Currently, the state has more than 1,200 school districts with the Texas Educational Agency citing many of them as exceptional.

This assessment is made based on College Board AP Scores, the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, and more. When you’re planning a move to El Paso, get information on your children’s specific districts.

El Paso has institutes of higher education, including these:

• The University of Texas at El Paso: public/four year
• Southwest Career College: private/for-profit/two year
• Pima Medical Institute – El Paso: private/for-profit/two year
• El Paso Community College: public/two year

Sports in El Paso

El Paso is one of the country’s largest cities with no professional baseball, basketball, football, or hockey teams. The El Paso Locomotive FC is a professional soccer team that debuted just a few seasons ago. The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Triple-A affiliate of a major league baseball team: the San Diego Padres.

The University of Texas at El Paso has sports teams: The Miners. This includes basketball; football; cross country; softball; beach volleyball; soccer; tennis; golf; and more. Plus, the El Paso Rhinos are an ice hockey team that’s part of the Tier III junior, south division, North American 3 Hockey League.

What to Do in El Paso

Take the Scenic Drive! This is absolutely the best drive you can take by car to see the incredible beauty of the area. It’s a winding road, one that goes around the east side of the Franklin Mountains—stunning by night or day, no matter how many times you take the drive. On one side, you’ll see incredible architecture while, on the other, you’ll witness nature’s beauty. You can stop at a small park, too, to soak in the scene.

Gorgeous as the Scenic Drive is, it’s not the only place to look at in amazement. Head to the Hueco Tanks State Historic Site, eight hundred acres plus of ancient rock basins (“huecos”) where rainwater collects. You’ll see rock imagery created by long-ago people and you can hike and rock climb, picnic and birdwatch, and so much more. The interpretive center shares insights into the history of this locale.

Take in the Ysleta Mission, the oldest continuously operating parish in Texas, built in 1682 by Tigua Indians. Surrounded by desert scenery, this highlights the culture of this unique area with picnic areas nearby for before or after your visit.

If you’re interested in learning more about the military, you can visit Fort Bliss and Old Ironsides Museums with helicopters, a German V-2 rocket, and artillery available to view before you even go inside. Inside, there are pretty incredible exhibits along with information about the U.S. Army at El Paso. You can touch most of the tanks. A reproduction of Old Fort Bliss is located next to the Old Ironsides Museum.

Dining, Nightlife, and the Arts

El Paso eateries of interest include these, among many others:

• L&J Cafe: Using the tagline of “The Old Place by the Graveyard,” this landmark award-winning restaurant has been serving up soulful eats since 1927. Signature items include tostados, ground beef tacos, and red enchiladas. The chile de arbol salsa is so popular that you can pick up a bottle or two to take home.
• Zino’s Greek: For an entirely different flavor profile (one that’s equally delicious!), try one or both locations in El Paso. Authentic Greek and Mediterranean food are made from scratch: gyros, moussaka, and kabobs with chicken, lamb, and ground beef. The trained chef rotates specials such as osso buco and paella valenciana and offers vegetarian dishes.
• The Hoppy Monk: Enjoy deliciously prepared food in a casual atmosphere at affordable prices such as salsa macha brussels sprouts and a ribeye sandwich. The pub offers a nice selection of beer, wine, and cocktails with $5 margaritas during happy hour.
• Taft Diaz: Dine in an elegant setting, a place where U.S. President William H. Taft met Mexican President Porfirio Díaz to negotiate over a piece of land. Today, you can enjoy Mexican-inspired dishes and mouth-watering desserts. Wait until you see their signature cocktail menu!
• Café Central: This wonderful cafe has won the Wine Spectator Best Award of Excellence many times as well as received the Distinguished Restaurants of America Award for Excellence. Gourmet dishes offer up the best of southwestern flavor profiles.

The Hoppy Monk transitions nicely into a nightlife spot, and El Paso has plenty of other places to be when the sun goes down. One of them—Later, Later—offers on-tap choices such as Ace Pineapple Cider and Deadbeach Selection plus white and red wines and cocktails like Worst Behavior. This gin drink comes with orange juice and a strawberry cordial.

You can also travel the wine trail, Highway 28. As you drive along the two-lane road, you’ll pass wine vineyards, ranches, restaurants—and special wineries that you won’t want to miss. You’ll travel between Texas and New Mexico if you keep following the winding road.

The El Paso Museum of Art offers stunning exhibits. At the time of writing, there’s an homage to Dante and an exhibit that celebrates fifty years of art from El Paso artist, Ho Baron among others. Supported by the Mellon Foundation and the Texas Commission on the Arts, and more, you’re always guaranteed an eye-opening experience.

At The Plaza Theater, you’ll become immersed in the arts in Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, a 1930 building with mosaic-tiled floors, intricately painted ceilings, and decorative railings. Even the building is a true work of art!

Shopping in El Paso

The original shopping mall in El Paso is named Bassett Place, and it’s centrally located: near the El Paso International Airport, the Bridge of Americas, Fort Bliss, and the international crossing from Mexico. From food to fashion, this mall contains a unique mix of shops.

Another shopping center is Fountains at Farah where cascading water displays can be enjoyed in the open air. Shops range from department stores to niche boutiques, and there are also restaurants—even an amphitheater.

El Paso’s Art & Farmers Market is a unique blend of artisan vendors and freshly grown produce. There’s a summer concert series, a chalk art event, and much more.

Important El Paso Links

When you’re getting ready to settle into your new home, you’ll want to have a list of nuts and bolts links at hand.

• Driver’s licenses: If you’re new to Texas, you’ll have to get a driver’s license from the state: here are guidelines from The Texas Department of Public Safety. You may be able to get your license online; if you need to visit an office, you’ll have to make an appointment. Either way, driver’s licenses stay current in Texas for eight years.
• Voter registration: Here’s how to register to vote in El Paso County along with what forms of ID you’ll need.
• Trash pickup: Find what you need to know about trash pickup, curbside recycling, landfill, and air quality at El Paso’s Environmental Services website.
• Emergency preparedness: The Office of Emergency Management for the county shares information about how to respond to a wide variety of emergencies.
• The Department of Human Services shares how to access vital services.
• Here is a link to El Paso’s water department, electricity services, and general utilities support page.

Home Movers in El Paso, TX: We’re Here to Help!

When you’re comparing moving companies in El Paso, we encourage you to get a free moving quote from Suddath. With more than a century of helping homeowners to relocate, we offer a complete range of services: packing to loading, transporting to unpacking, and secure storage solutions.

Our experienced movers in El Paso, TX can handle everything from start to finish to take the load off of you. Or, you can pick specific services. Your move, your choice! To get started, please contact our El Paso moving company online. We look forward to providing you with an unsurpassed level of service for a stress-free move.