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El Paso market pulse

Real public data for El Paso's ZIP codes, updated as the agencies publish.

Metro prices

Past change, not a forecast.

Data table
El Paso, TX metro: FHFA house price index, 2016 Q2 to 2026 Q2
QuarterIndexChange since 2016 Q2
2016 Q2185.4—
2016 Q3186.6+0.6%
2016 Q4186.5+0.6%
2017 Q1189.3+2.1%
2017 Q2190.6+2.8%
2017 Q3193.5+4.4%
2017 Q4193.3+4.3%
2018 Q1195.5+5.4%
2018 Q2194.1+4.7%
2018 Q3200.7+8.3%
2018 Q4194.4+4.9%
2019 Q1205.7+11%
2019 Q2205.8+11%
2019 Q3204.1+10%
2019 Q4208.5+12%
2020 Q1212.3+15%
2020 Q2215.3+16%
2020 Q3224.1+21%
2020 Q4230.3+24%
2021 Q1245.2+32%
2021 Q2245.5+32%
2021 Q3259.8+40%
2021 Q4272.9+47%
2022 Q1280.1+51%
2022 Q2297.6+61%
2022 Q3304.9+64%
2022 Q4296.9+60%
2023 Q1307.1+66%
2023 Q2325.5+76%
2023 Q3320.0+73%
2023 Q4321.1+73%
2024 Q1328.3+77%
2024 Q2331.6+79%
2024 Q3348.1+88%
2024 Q4333.9+80%
2025 Q1337.8+82%
2025 Q2334.3+80%
2025 Q3337.1+82%
2025 Q4356.2+92%
2026 Q1347.1+87%
2026 Q2355.1+92%

Each index has its own base, so compare its changes, not its level.

Details

FHFA's purchase-only index for El Paso, TX: repeat sales of the same houses, from mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchased or securitized. It isn't seasonally adjusted, so each span starts in the quarter it ends.

ZIP by ZIP

One-year ZIP changes are noisy: of last year's top-3 ZIPs in our 50 cities, 1 in 15 was top 3 again. Past change, not a forecast.

Loading the ZIP figures…
About these figures

FHFA's experimental ZIP house price index: houses with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans, from sales and refinance appraisals. Condos, co-ops and multi-unit buildings aren't in it. 17 of El Paso's 18 ZIPs have an index; FHFA publishes one only where enough sales exist. A ZIP whose index stops before the latest year shows the year it ends instead of changes. Each index has its own base, so compare a ZIP's changes, not its level.

Rent or buy here

EstimateMonthly housing payment (est.): 20% down · 30-year fixed at 7.03% (Freddie Mac average) · 360 monthly loan payments of $1,147 · APR not calculated (it depends on the lender's fees) · includes principal and interest, property tax, home insurance and any HOA dues, plus mortgage insurance below 20% down.7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)$175

a month less to own a typical sample home than HUD's rent for its size, ZIP 79936

Own: 3-bedroom sample house, $214,900Sample: fictional home, for the demo.
EstimateMonthly housing payment (est.): 20% down · 30-year fixed at 7.03% (Freddie Mac average) · 360 monthly loan payments of $1,147 · APR not calculated (it depends on the lender's fees) · includes principal and interest, property tax, home insurance and any HOA dues, plus mortgage insurance below 20% down.7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)$1,675 a monthNot included: upkeep, utilities, flood insurance, special assessments.
Rent: HUD fair market rent, 3 bedrooms
$1,850 a monthHUD Small Area Fair Market Rent, FY2027: a 40th-percentile rent for a standard home, utilities included. Not an asking rent.
See this sample home

Lending

2025 home-purchase loans (first liens) on owner-occupied 1–4 unit homes in El Paso's census tracts: 4,071 loans. Loans that closed, not offers: a rate depends on your credit, down payment, points and the day you lock it.

Middle half of rates
6.25% to 6.875%
Loan costs at closing
$6,094 medianMiddle half $4,633 to $8,692: origination charges (points included) and settlement services, Closing Disclosure section D · 1,394 loans
Loan limits, 2026
$832,750 conformingAbove it, a jumbo loan with its own rates and rules; FHA limit $541,287 (one-unit home, El Paso County). Limits set by FHFA and HUD.
More lending figures
Borrowed, every loan on the home combined
96.5% of the value (median)Middle half 91.1% to 100%. 82% of buyers borrowed more than 80% of the value, 75.2% more than 90%, 62.1% more than 95%. HMDA's combined loan-to-value counts every loan on the home (second loans, down-payment-assistance loans, financed FHA or VA fees) against the value the lender used, so it doesn't show the cash buyers put down · 3,789 loans
Loan types
Conventional 34.9% · FHA 33.7%VA 31.4% · USDA 0%
Discount points
68.1% of loans paid pointsMedian paid: $2,188. Points buy a lower rate.

For comparison: 7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.

Flood and insurance

Federal flood insurance
2,758 policies in force · 622 claims since 2000FEMA National Flood Insurance Program, summed over 18 ZIPs (policies in force Jun 30, 2026; claims since 2000). Private flood policies aren't counted.
Policies insurers didn't renew
0% in the median ZIPU.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office, 2022.

Most homeowners policies exclude flood, so flood insurance is a separate policy. Source: FEMA FloodSmart: What is my flood risk?, retrieved 2026-10-09 (opens in a new tab) Check an address on FEMA's flood map (opens in a new tab)

County hazard ratings (FEMA)

Natural hazards, compared with other U.S. counties

  • El Paso County, TX: expected yearly losses rated very high for winter weather; expected yearly losses rated relatively high for inland flooding, heat wave, hail.
    Other ratings for El Paso County, TX
    • EarthquakeRelatively Moderate
    • WildfireRelatively Low
    • HurricaneVery Low
    • TornadoRelatively Low

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025: Expected Annual Loss rating of each hazard, by county (NRI December 2025): expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture; FEMA's social-vulnerability adjustments aren't included. This describes each county, not one home. Check an address on FEMA's flood map; in a high-risk flood zone, a federally backed loan requires flood insurance.

What's new in El Paso

Rail openings, zoning changes and big projects from primary sources, newest first. News, not a price forecast.

  1. Zoning change

    SB15 opens a qualifying small-lot subdivision pathway

    On qualifying unplatted tracts of at least five acres, the state law limits municipal minimum lot size to 3,000 sq ft, or a smaller local minimum. Private deed restrictions and exclusions remain; ordinary backyard splits do not qualify.

    Dallas Planning, SB15 information sheet (state small-lot law) (opens in a new tab)
  2. Zoning change

    SB840 allows housing on qualifying commercial sites

    The state law opens eligible office, commercial, retail and warehouse zoning to multifamily or mixed-use housing and eases conversions. Industrial, airport and military exclusions apply; this does not upzone every detached-house lot.

    El Paso Planning, SB840 information sheet (state mixed-use/multifamily law) (opens in a new tab)

Rules in Texas

From state law, standard contract forms and local custom. Research, not legal advice.

ClosingRule
A title company runs the closing and holds the money.
Seller's disclosureRule
Seller's Disclosure Notice (Texas Property Code §5.008) You may cancel within 7 days in some cases: notice delivered after the effective date; if never delivered, any time before closing.
Closing taxesRule
Texas and El Paso charge no transfer or mortgage tax at closing in our research; recording fees still apply.
How buying works in Texas
Who runs the closing
A title company runs the closing and holds the money. Typical time from contract to keys: about 30 days.
The contract
Your signed offer becomes a binding contract once the seller accepts it.
Details

TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), TREC No. 20-19

Buyer agreement
Written buyer representation agreement, or a showing-only non-representation agreement (14 days at most), signed before touring.
Details

Since 2026-01-01 an agent must sign a written agreement with a residential buyer before showing any home or, if nothing is shown, before presenting an offer (Occ. Code 1101.563).

Source: TREC: What changes in 2026 about buyer/tenant representation (Occ. Code §§1101.562–.563) (2026-01-07)

Option period
7 days after the contract takes effect. You pay the seller a fee (typically $100–$500) for the unrestricted right to end the contract in that time.
Details

Negotiated; 5–10 days is common (sample 7). The fee goes to the escrow agent within 3 days, is credited to the price at closing, and is kept by the seller if the buyer terminates. Notice by 5 p.m. local time on the last day.

Inspection
About 7 days for inspections.
Details

Inspections happen inside the option period; there is no separate inspection contingency.

Earnest money
1–2% of the price, due within 3 days, held by: Escrow agent (title company).
Details

TREC 20-19 ¶5A: within 3 days after the effective date, extended past weekends and Texas legal holidays. Typical % is a sample.

Seller's disclosure
Seller's Disclosure Notice (Texas Property Code §5.008) You may cancel within 7 days in some cases: notice delivered after the effective date; if never delivered, any time before closing.
Details

TREC 20-19 ¶7B; foreclosure, estate and new-home sales are exempt.

Source: TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), TREC No. 20-19 (05-04-2026, mandatory 2026-07-01)

Loan and appraisal
Loan contingency: 21 days (set in the contract).
Details

Third Party Financing Addendum sets the Buyer Approval days (21 is a sample). A low appraisal is only an exit if the parties add TREC's Addendum Regarding Right to Terminate Due to Lender's Appraisal.

Title insurance
The seller customarily pays for the owner's policy. Texas sets title insurance rates.
Details

Texas Department of Insurance sets title premiums. The seller customarily pays the owner's policy; ¶6A lets the parties choose.

Property tax for a new owner
The seller's caps and exemptions end with the sale; your assessment starts over at market value. About 1.7% of the price a year is our planning figure for El Paso; your bill can differ.
Details

Appraised at market value each January 1. The seller's homestead exemption and 10% cap don't transfer; the buyer files for a homestead for the next year (school exemption $140,000 since 2025).

Official 2025 rates at an El Paso ISD address: El Paso County 0.4589%, University Medical Center 0.2409%, El Paso Community College 0.1036%, City of El Paso 0.7596%, El Paso ISD 1.0807%: 2.64% of value without a homestead. With a homestead ($140,000 for EPISD; $5,000 off for the city and county; none for the hospital district and college): 1.74% at $175,000, about 2.19% at $350,000. Assumes you live there, file for the homestead (by April 30; it starts the next January 1, or right away if the seller had none) and the district appraises the home at the price. The bill for the year you buy still reflects the seller's exemptions. The school exemption is a fixed $140,000, so the rate rises with price. Several units adopted higher 2026 rates in September 2026.

Agent credits to the buyer
Texas allows an agent to credit part of their pay to the buyer, with the lender's approval.
Details

A license holder may rebate part of its fee to its own client (22 TAC 535.147(d)); the buyer's lender must know and may limit it.

Source: 22 Tex. Admin. Code §535.147(d): a license holder may rebate fees to the party it represents (retrieved 2026-09-27)

Some of these facts rest on secondary sources (a law firm, title company or reference site, not the law or the form itself): Option fee (Texas): typical fees and practice (secondary).

Closing taxes

Texas and El Paso charge no transfer or mortgage tax at closing in our research; recording fees still apply.

Sources (13)

Programs and deadlines

Official pages for El Paso, the same for every buyer. Each program decides who qualifies.

Down-payment help
My First Texas Home (opens in a new tab) (Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA))Down payment assistance and 30-year mortgages for first-time homebuyers and qualified veterans; My Choice Texas Home is open to buyers who aren't buying for the first time.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.Texas's housing finance agency runs it; the program decides who qualifies and for how much.
Down-payment help in El Paso
Housing Finance Corporation (opens in a new tab) (El Paso Housing Finance Corporation (City of El Paso))Its current program gives first-time homeowners incentives that can take the form of down payment and closing cost assistance.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
Homestead exemption
Property Tax Exemptions (opens in a new tab) (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts)School districts must exempt $140,000 of a residence homestead's value, and any taxing unit may exempt up to 20% more; apply with the appraisal district in your county.Deadline: before May 1Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
If you disagree with your assessment
Protests and Appeals (opens in a new tab) (El Paso Central Appraisal District)File a Notice of Protest online, by mail (Form 50-132) or in person; you can protest even if you didn't receive a notice of appraised value.When: May 15, or 30 days from the date on your noticeOfficial page, checked 2026-09-28.
After you buy: alerts on your deed
Property Fraud Alert (opens in a new tab) (El Paso County Clerk)An online service that monitors your name for recordings and alerts you by call, text or email; registration is free.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.

Sample homes in El Paso, each with its estimated monthly cost and the things to check. Found one somewhere else? Check it here.

Sources (35)