El Paso is the top big city to live in for 2026-2027, according to a report by U.S News & World Report.
The Sun City is at the No. 1 spot on the publication’s “Best Big Cities to Live in the U.S. in 2026-2027” list — last year El Paso earned the second spot, ranking behind Oklahoma City. Reasons for El Paso rising to the top include our sunny skies, lower-than-average cost of living, and quick commute time.
El Paso also beat out other large Texas cities like Fort Worth, Austin, Houston and San Antonio.
El Paso offers lower cost of living, better commute times
According to the report, El Paso has a lower cost of living compared to other similarly sized cities. The national average home value is $359,870, while the median home value in El Paso is $196,914.
The job market in El Paso is better than the national average, the report notes. Unemployment in El Paso is lower than the national average of 4.54%. The median household income in El Paso is $60,467, compared with the national median household income of $83,181.
The average commute time in El Paso is 20.89 minutes, which is less than the national average, the report states.
El Paso also landed on other lists by U.S. News & World Report, including No. 23 in “Best Place to Live in Texas” and No. 181 in “Best Places to Retire.”
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on x; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso is No. 1 ‘Best Big City to Live in the US,’ according to report
Reporting by Natassia Paloma, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
