Living in El Paso
El Paso and Fort Bliss Information
 LIVING IN EL PASO
At the westernmost edge of Texas is El Paso, a city where the Wild West meets the Spicy Southwest. The City’s history tells of Spanish conquistadors, ancient highways, buffalo soldiers, gunfighters, saloons and border disputes. El Paso is fused with American and Mexican traditions, distinct and unique. We welcome you to experience vibrant El Paso and the treasures it has to offer. Population City: 613,190 County: 742,062 Location Southwest Texas adjoining Mexico & Time Zone Mountain Standard Land Area City 250.9 sq miles County 1058 sq miles New Mexico For more information on El Paso Statistics visit http://www.elpasotexas.gov/quickfacts.asp Source: US Census Bureau THE CULTURE
The best of two nations and three states converge at the westernmost tip of Texas in El Paso. A warm and friendly mosaic of cultures, traditions, and ethnic groups is nestled against the rugged Franklin Mountains and along the Rio Grande. This diversity places El Paso at the forefront of communities transcending borders—a truly global culture right in our own backyard. The City of El Paso’s heritage is unlike any other with our ancestry deriving from many sources. The Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate and the Franciscan monks who accompanied this conquistador on his journey to settle the limits of the Spanish colonial frontier discovered the area. The settlement of the El Paso del Norte region led to further colonization, the establishment of Spanish missions, and the introduction of Christianity to the indigenous population. The Spanish influence remains alive to this day in our architecture, language, customs, and traditions. The colonial territory of Mexico, which included El Paso, gained independence from Spain in 1821 and established itself as a military and economic power with great influence over the region. Along with the rise of Mexico came the prominence of the Mestizo culture, a cross of European and indigenous civilizations, which left its imprint on El Paso. The Mestizos have made significant and distinctive contributions to our community in art, literature, music, and cuisine while retaining many traditions of our Spanish founders. The State of Texas, newly admitted to the union in 1845, facilitated the settlement of the west and brought Americans of all walks of life to El Paso; some just passed through while others settled and prospered. The expansion westward brought new industries to El Paso from ranching and dairy farming to the production of pima cotton and pecans. This dramatic growth brought forth people who sought new beginnings and prosperity, and helped to create our frontier spirit and cowboy heritage, adding yet another powerful influence to our varied cultural milieu. The 20th Century has exhibited a solidification of our many cultural attributes as they have blended seamlessly to create a community that is uniquely American. Our citizens are imbued with a pioneering spirit looking to the future and all its grand possibilities yet, remembering our rich history. This unique synergy of perspectives and ideals has propelled our city to ever-greater success and prosperity. From our centuries old Spanish missions and Tex-Mex cuisine to our frontier spirit, this eclectic mix of ideas and traditions weave a cultural tapestry unique to El Paso, and has forged our outlook for a bright and exciting future as the City of the “New Old West” in the 21st Century.  CRIME RATE
El Paso’s overall crime rate has continued to decrease in recent years despite the constant growth that the City has experienced during the same period. Significant strides in crime reduction in El Paso have been made possible by the partnership that exists between the El Paso Police Department and the community through its philosophy of Community Policing. In addition to the 16 community action groups that employ a proactive approach to preventing crime in El Paso, technological advances have improved the ability of officers to achieve the department’s mission and goals. The Morgan Quitno Press has named El Paso the third safest city with a population exceeding 500,000 for 2008.
Source: City of El Paso, Police Department, November 2008. University of Texas at El Paso
As the second oldest academic institution in the University of Texas system, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) was established in 1913. Originally known as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, with a name change in 1949 transformed it to Texas Western College before finally coming to be known as The University of Texas at El Paso in 1967. The University of Texas at El Paso houses seven colleges, the School of Nursing and numerous research institutes. Offering 81 undergraduate, 65 masters and 16 doctoral degrees, UTEP is dedicated to serving the academic needs of the Paso del Norte region. Influenced by Bhutanese architecture, the main campus encompasses 420 acres and supports a record student body of 21,011 in the 2008/2009 academic year.
A TRIBUTE TO DON HASKINS
On September 7, 2008, El Paso said farewell to one of the nation’s greatest coaches, Don Haskins, who passed away at his home surrounded by family and friends. Haskins, nicknamed “The Bear” for his burly disposition, was the head coach at UTEP from 1961-1999, leading the Miners to 719 wins, including a national title (1966), 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and seven Western Athletic Conference Championships. In 2006, UTEP celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the historic basketball game played on March 19, 1966 when the Miners became the first team in history to win the NCAA championship with five African-American players in the starting lineup. By beating an all-white Kentucky squad in the title game, 72-65, the Miners contributed to a sea of change in intercollegiate athletics. Haskins said all along he wasn’t trying to be a social pioneer or make any sort of statement to a racially biased country. He just thought he should recruit the best players he could find, and then play them. “I just wanted to win the game,” he said. In a world that badly needed him then, and that will miss him now, Haskins left an important legacy by looking past skin color and perpetrating the best kind of equality. He let the best athletes play. A motion picture, "Glory Road," was created based on the story of the 1966 team, and released nationwide on Jan. 13, 2006. On September 8, 2007, the 1966 team was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Source: UTEP Center for Institution of Evaluation and Research and Planning, 2007. 
El Paso Community College is one of the largest comprehensive community colleges in the nation. The college district currently serves more than 27,538 students each semester at its five campuses and other satellite sites located throughout the County. With televised courses and distance learning technology, the college offers increased educational opportunities and accessibility to all members of the community.
Source: El Paso Community College www.epcc.edu, 2009. 
Founded in 1888, New Mexico State University (NMSU), located in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico, provides additional opportunities in higher education for area residents. NMSU offers a full spectrum of Bachelors and Masters Degree programs as well as 22 doctoral programs. The University has been nationally recognized as an “Extensive - Doctoral/Research University” by the Carnegie Foundation, the organization’s top designation. NMSU is also regarded as one of the top universities for minority students. NMSU offers in-state tuition to residents of several Texas border counties including El Paso County.
Additionally, the University of Phoenix, Webster University, Park University at Fort Bliss, Texas, and other sites in the region offer more than 30 technical and career training facilities. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008.  Held at Biggs Army Airfield in the fall, this air show is recognized as one of the nation’s best. Military and civilian aircraft, static displays, entertainment, and performances by world-renowned flying teams make the Amigo Airshow a highly anticipated event each year. For more information, call 915-562 6446www.amigoairsho.org. El Paso Museum Adjacent to the Arts Festival Plaza, the museum is home of the of Art famous Kress Collection. In addition, the museum includes the Tom Lea Gallery, the DeWetter Gallery, and the Contemporary Gallery, featuring changing exhibits throughout the year. For more information, call 915-532-1707. www.elpasoartmuseum.org. Hueco TanksThis area derives its name from the huge basin-shaped rocks that State Park catch and hold rain. The park features excellent rock climbing, hiking, picnicking, and camping, as well as cave paintings that date back as far as 1500B.C. It is located twenty miles east of El Paso on Highway 62. For more information, call 915-857-1135www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/hueco_tanks/. Insights Museum A world of interactive learning experiences where more than 80 science and technology exhibits offer fun and facts for all ages. It is located in Downtown El Paso and within walking distance of the E.P. Museum of Art. For more information, call 915-534 0000www.insightselpaso.org. El Paso Zoo The El Paso Zoo is an eighteen-acre complex that is home to more than 1700 animals of 240 species in a variety of natural habitat exhibits including a Reptile House, South American Pavilion, American Biome, Americas Aviary, Paraje, Birds of Prey, Forest Atrium, Asian Grasslands, Asian Endangered Walk, and an Elephant Complex. For more information, call 915-521 1850 www.elpasozoo.org/. Follow in the footsteps of Don Juan de Oñate. Among the oldest roads in the country, the Mission Trail is rooted in history dating back more than 400 years. There are three missions to visit, including the oldest building in Texas: the Ysleta, Socorro and San Elizario Missions. www.themissiontrail.net/missions_pg. Magoffin Home State The Magoffin Home, built in 1875 by pioneer Joseph Magoffin, Historic Site is El Paso's only historic house museum. The nineteen room, adobe home is a prime example of Territorial architecture, a style that emerged in the southwest in the mid 1800s. For more information, call 915-533-5147www.thc.state.tx.us/hsites/hs_magoffin.aspx. Sun Bowl At high noon on New Year’s Eve, El Paso proudly hosts the Sun Bowl. First played in 1935, this post-season classic pits two nationally acclaimed NCAA Division I football teams in a head-to-head college football competition. For more information go to www.sunbowl.org. Tigua Indian Cultural Center Observe the cultural traditions of the Tigua Indian Tribe at the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. Witness ancient Tigua chants and dances on the plaza and relive more than 350 years of pueblo history at the museum. A gift shop and the Cacique Restaurant are also located on the premises just three quarters of a mile from the historic Ysleta Mission at 9430 Socorro Road. For more information, call 915-859-5287 www.ysletadelsurpueblo. Viva El Paso Depicting the history of the El Paso region, this colorful musical drama is performed at the stunning McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater, where a dramatic mountain cliff serves as the stage backdrop. Performances are Thursday through Saturday in June, July, and August. For more information, call 915-231 1165 http://www.viva-ep.org. Originally built in 1959 to carry KTSM employees to the broadcast tower at the top of the Franklin Mountains, the tram, operated by the Texas Parks Department, is a four-minute ride to the 5,632-foot Ranger Peak. Observers can scan hundreds of miles of the far west corners of Texas as well as Old and New Mexico. For more information, call 915-566-6622www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/wyler_aerial_tram/. 
The City of El Paso is located at the westernmost tip of the state of Texas on the United States border with Mexico. Founded over four centuries ago as an outpost for traders and missionaries in the West, El Paso has been a dynamic city for over four hundred years. Situated south of the state line of New Mexico and on the international boundary with Mexico, El Paso wraps around the southern tip of the Franklin Mountains at the southernmost point of the Rocky Mountain chain. The international boundary between the United States and Mexico bisects the downtown areas of the City of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Literally translated, El Paso means “The Pass”, which is a name well suited for the lowest altitude all-weather pass through the Rocky Mountains. Of the many things that make El Paso special - its diverse economy, unique cultural blend, and mild climate make it a great place to live and work. The Rio Grande serves as a significant part of the international boundary between the City of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The Rio Grande means “big river,” but today it hardly depicts the image that the name conjures up due to the many dams that have been built along it for irrigation. The river was once a sprawling three-mile wide body of water dotted with an estimated three hundred islands. The survey of the river took eight years to complete and resulted in the deaths of several surveyors. Both countries had disputed the location of the international boundary between the United States and Mexico since the end of the Mexican American War in 1848. In June 1962, President John F. Kennedy initiated talks with President Lopez Mateos of Mexico and determined that relations with Mexico would not improve until the disputed location of the international boundary was resolved. Realigning the border, relocating homes, businesses, schools, and giving up portions of railroad tracks were the larger issues confronted by diplomats during the implementation of the Chamizal Convention in 1969. Through this convention, Mexico received 437 acres of land (and all attachments) from the United States, and the border dispute was officially settled. Much of the disputed area on both sides of the border was made into parkland. The U.S. National Parks Service maintains the Chamizal Park on the  ECONOMIC INITIATIVES
The City of El Paso continues to work towards the strategic policies established by the Mayor and City Council. The strategic policies as discussed in beginning of this book have set the direction for the City and have lead to following economic initiatives through public/private partnerships. In the following pages a brief overview will address the initiatives of today that will shape the El Paso of tomorrow.  FORT BLISS EXPANSION
The City of El Paso is home to Fort Bliss, the largest Air Defense Artillery Training Center in the world. Since 1848, Fort Bliss has grown steadily alongside its host city. Located in the northeastern region of El Paso, Fort Bliss currently stretches over 1.12-million-acres into southern New Mexico. Incredibly, the base occupies an area larger than the entire state of Rhode Island and will be the nation's fourth-largest Army installation in population by 2013, only slightly smaller than Fort Hood. Fort Bliss hosts “Roving Sands,” the world’s largest Joint Tactical Air Operations exercise that utilizes Army, Marine, and multinational air defense units to create an integrated air defense network. While the primary mission of the post is air defense, it is also home to the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, Joint Task Force-6, and the William Beaumont Army Medical Center. The influx of troops, as outlined by the Pentagon's 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendation, is projected to increase the Fort Bliss population from 24,660 in 2005 to 90,296 by the end of 2012. This growth is part of the military's plan to make Ft. Bliss the new home to testing for Future Combat Systems. The program is intended to conduct trials of futuristic unmanned weaponry, which is hoped to be a strong attraction for defense contractors, bringing with them high-wage jobs. To prepare for the boom, more than $4 billion in on-base investment is planned along with an additional 20,000 apartments and homes slated for construction within the city. Among the first projects to be completed on-site are six new military complexes, housing approximately 1,400 soldiers, dining facilities and vehicle-maintenance areas. Elsewhere on base, new parks, shops, chapels and a lifestyle center will soon be unveiled. New Ft. Bliss Housing  REDEVELOPMENT AND REVITALIZATION
Revitalized Downtown El Paso provides opportunities to live, work, shop and play while fostering a productive and energetic economy for all citizens. Downtown is renewing itself with a revitalization program guided by the Downtown 2015 Plan, as adopted by City Council on October 31, 2006. The plan sets a vision through which the public and private sector work together to increase the value and attractiveness of the Downtown area. Downtown is now in the midst of a transformation. Funded by public and private monies, the current transformation focuses on the goal of once again becoming a center of commerce, culture, and tourism. Since the plan was adopted, more than $204 million has been invested in Downtown by the public and private sectors. There are 14 major projects underway with another major project, the Doubletree Hotel City Center, recently completed. The Doubletree, formerly the International Hotel, had fallen into disrepair. It is now a gleaming example of successful Downtown redevelopment. The 17-story hotel has 200 rooms and features a scenic ballroom on the top floor and a seventh-floor Sunset Terrace which includes a swimming pool and fire pit. The hotel features a full-service, 180-seat restaurant called Fire — featuring former Coronado Country Club executive chef Ron Fineron — and a bar inside the restaurant called Liquid. The Mills Plaza development is the largest private project currently in progress. Paul Foster, CEO of Western Refining, and El Paso native Brent Harris have big plans for the area around a trio of historic buildings — the Anson Mills Building, the Centre Building and Plaza Hotel. The plan is built around the creation of the Mills Plaza District, which joins business, restaurant and retail in the three buildings. “I hope this is just the beginning of a lot of great things to happen with Downtown development,” said Foster. Included in the development is a multi-story parking garage with approximately 700 parking spaces. On the housing front, two projects are now in development. First, plans are underway to build 91 apartments in the Magoffin Historic District. Magoffin Park Villas will be located on three former vacant lots at the corner of Magoffin and Ange streets. This development by Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe and its partner, TVO Development will provide 20 percent of its units to low-income families for at least 40 years. The remaining units will be made available at market rates. The ground floor will also have 1,700 square feet of retail space. A second development is located at the corner of First Avenue and Florence. First Ave. Lofts is set to debut a different style of living. The plan is to have nine upscale condos on the building’s second and third floors, and a retail component on the ground floor. There will also be a private, covered parking garage and a rooftop terrace. On the public side, work continues on the new $78 million Federal Courthouse now under construction. This nine-story building will provide 239,400 gross square feet and will accommodate 13 judges compared to the seven judges served by the old courthouse which dates from 1936. In transportation, a new era is starting to take shape in Downtown El Paso. A state-of-the-art Sun Metro Transfer Terminal, completed September 21st, is located at the corner of Santa Fe and Third street. This new terminal includes a 6,000 square foot customer service building with the latest amenities such as an enclosed waiting, real time information displays, a Sun Metro store front, restaurant area, and free Wi-Fi Internet access. All of the revitalization efforts are chronicled online at the City’s Downtown redevelopment website, www.elpasotexas.gov/downtown. The site provides a full copy of the Downtown 2015 plan, along with copies of all City Council action regarding redevelopment. There is also information for almost every user, such as historical facts about Downtown, a gallery of images and information on activities in Downtown via a monthly calendar of events. “I’ve always said a great downtown is a key ingredient in making a great city,” said Mayor John Cook. “This website points out the many things our Downtown has to offer and highlights the vision for what the future holds as revitalization moves forward.” TOURISM
The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso that opened in October of 2007 is a Horizon Group property designed to accommodate 100 name brand retail stores (Nike, Banana Republic, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger and others), a food court, children's play area and other amenities within the 385,000 sq. ft. center. The $70 million center is a shopping destination for visitors from the El Paso region as well as Mexico. MEDICAL
On July 13, 2009, El Paso welcomed the inaugural class of the new four-year medical school, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L.Foster School of Medicine. Due to El Paso’s fast growing population the need for quality healthcare and research is increasing. In 1999 community leaders took the first steps to make El Paso the destination for a new medical school. In January 2006, El Paso celebrated the ribbon cutting of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso School of Medicine. Then Paul Foster, President and CEO of Western Refining, Inc., in August 2007 donated $50 million to the El Paso School of Medicine, to help finance faculty recruitment, salaries, and state-of-the-art equipment for innovative research. The Paul L. Foster School of Medicine will create new opportunities vital for research and advances in healthcare that will profoundly affect the region. The medical school will also be the corner stone to the proposed Medical Center of the Americas, the first planned medical facilities campus for health delivery, research, education and economic development of El Paso. Source: Texas Tech University Health Science Center, November 2009.  TRANSPORTATION
El Paso’s growth leads to another significant topic – transportation. The City has a major artery of commerce running right through the heart of the city. It is used by commuters, visitors and commerce as the preferred route of mobility. City Council’s goal is to make the local transit system more viable and attractive as an alternate mode of transportation; thereby reducing the number of vehicles on the roads, resulting in less congestion. Together with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the City approved the creation of Regional Mobility Authority to create a plan to ease the traffic commute and assist the large volume of trucks transporting goods from Mexico and through the Interstate 10. In July of 2008, a $1 billion highway plan was approved by City Council. With approximately $216 million from local contributions, this collaborative effort will work at meeting the comprehensive transportation needs of El Paso as a critical component of commercial trade and mitigate congestion due to the increasing growth. The International Airport and Sun Metro and continue to play vital roles in the economic health and quality of life in the city. In 2008, the economic downturn impacted the flow of passengers and freight through the airport. Air Transportation El Paso International Airport
2007 2008
Annual Passenger: 3.40 million, 3.30 million Annual Freight: 87,894 tons 67,825 tons Aircraft Operations: 103,990 99,714 takeoff & landings Ground Transportation Sun Metro
2007 2008
Number of Buses 149 159 Annual Miles Traveled 6,523,543 6,748,308 Number of Routes 54 58 International Border Crossings
In July of 2009, 316-thousand vehicles crossed into El paso from Ciudad Juarez, representing a decline of just 1.7 percent from the same period last year. At the wholesale level, truck crossings are down 17 percent. The crossings are definitely impacted by the peso devaluation that reached its peak back in March of 2009 at almost 15 pesos per dollar. Source: Texas A&M International University, Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development and Banco de Mexico.  THE ECONOMY
In 2007, it was marked as the beginning of a global financial crisis. This crisis was triggered by the subprime mortgage crisis, which was the dramatic rise in mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures due to housing price declines in 2006-2007. Approximately 80% of U.S. mortgages issued in recent years to subprime borrowers were adjustable-rate mortgages, refinancing became more difficult and as adjustable-rate mortgages began to reset at higher rates, mortgage delinquencies soared. Securities backed with subprime mortgages, widely held by financial firms, lost most of their value. The result has been a large decline in the capital of many banks and U.S. government sponsored enterprises, tightening credit around the world. The impact of this crisis is evident in El Paso’s business-cycle index reported a decline of 7.8 percent annualized rate, up from the average decline of 3.4 annualized rate during the previous 12 months. This suggests that the national recessionary pressures continue to impact El Paso. Other indictors include the increase in unemployment, a decrease in retail sales and decrease in new housing starts. In the table below are some of the major economic indicators and the projection for 2009 and 2010. Major Economic Indicators El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area
*El Paso total unadjusted retail sales reported in millions of nominal dollars. Source: Border Region Modeling Project. The University of Texas at El Paso. Business Report SR08-2. Borderplex Economic Outlook: 2008-2010, November 2008 MANUFACTURING
Since 1995, El Paso has experienced a 22.9% decrease in manufacturing employment. Once the capital of the denim garment industry from 1960 to 1980, El Paso now looks to other sectors and industries to take advantage of the large workforce. Though El Paso has seen a decline in manufacturing, the support industries for the maquiladoras, or twin plants, located in El Paso’s sister city Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, are increasing. El Paso derives significant economic benefit from the maquiladora industry in Cd. Juarez, including an estimated payroll of $215.6 million for maquila employees who live on the U.S. side of the border. In addition, the production sharing of the border economy has attracted companion industries to the area with the maquiladora industry purchasing in past years $1.6 billion worth of services in El Paso, as estimated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The industry has generated jobs in El Paso in indirect support industries including retail sales, manufacturing support services, professional support services, and transportation, banking, and commercial and residential construction. El Paso offers internationally competitive operating costs for a wide range of manufacturers. However, the future of manufacturing in El Paso will likely arise from the attraction of Research and Development operations in specified industry clusters. As a result, El Paso’s manufacturing opportunities lay not in the cost of labor, but in the quality of education. Specifically, University of Texas at El Paso’s development of a research presence in the academic arena and our public schools producing high quality graduates with core skills and competencies built on a solid foundation will change our course as a City allowing the employers to have a labor force that is ready and able to compete successfully in the new global economy.
 INTERNATIONAL TRADE
International sales data confirm that Mexico continues to be the largest export market for Texas products. Texas shipments to Mexico exceeded $124.6 billion in 2008. Computer and electronic products, transportation equipment, electrical equipment and appliances remain the leading Texas export sectors to customers south of the Border. Much of this traffic moves through El Paso. For 2008, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that over $20.2 billion worth of exports to Mexico were shipped through port facilities in the City of El Paso, approximately 16.2 percent of all Texas exports. Merchandise imports through El Paso are also strong. In 2008, the value of imports from Mexico through El Paso surpassed $28.03 billion, a slight decrease from 2007. The City remains to be the second largest importer/exporter along the U.S. southern border. Exports to Mexico by Port of Departure, 2008
Source: Texas Centers for Border Economic and Enterprise Development, Border Trade Data, October 2009.
Imports from Mexico by Port of Entry, 2008
Source: Texas Centers for Border Economic and Enterprise Development, Border Trade Data, October 2009.
RETAIL SALES
As noted by University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) economist Dr. Thomas Fullerton, metropolitan retail sales performance is usually “the most variable segment of a local or national economy.” Retail sales in El Paso are projected to decelerate in 2009. According to UTEP’s Borderplex Economic Outlook: 20082010 there are three categories that will likely experience flat or negative growth: hardware stores, miscellaneous and automobile sales. In 2008, El Paso reported over $7.4 billion in gross retail sales, approximately an 8.6% percent decrease over the previous year. Again, the categories in El Paso with the largest sales are manufacturing, automotive dealers and general merchandise stores.
Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, November 2009.  Retail Impact of Mexicoretail sales with a concentration near the international bridges in the Downtown area. However, it is now clear that the patronage of Mexican Nationals is enjoyed by merchants throughout El Paso. In a recent study titled “Cross-Border Retailing Study” conducted by John Hadjimarcou, Ph.D., of the University of Texas at El Paso’s Marketing & Management Department the 109 retailers surveyed, mainly from East and West El Paso, help to validate the fact that the Downtown area is not the sole beneficiary of border-crossing consumers into El Paso. Among the study’s findings: Over 50% believe that these Mexican shoppers account for at least 25% of their sales and profits Overall, businesses believed that they could not perform well without Mexican customers and agree that the border-crossing consumer as a segment is growing DEMOGRAPHICS
POPULATION
The City of El Paso is the sixth largest city in the state of Texas and the twenty-third largest city in the United States. The City is projected to reach a population of 654,826 in 2009, which represents a 1.6 percent increase from population projected for 2008. El Paso shares the border region with Juarez, Mexico the largest city in the state of Chihuahua and the fifth largest city in Mexico. Viewed as a whole Cd. Juarez, Mexico and the County of El Paso, this bi-national metropolitan region is projected to exceed 2 million residents. The El Paso County Population is projected to be 806,450 in 2010, and is expected to reach 871,998 by 2015. Source: Department of Planning, Research, and Development, City of El Paso, September 2009 Instituto Municipal de Investigación y Planeación, Plan de Desarrollo, 2006.
COST OF LIVING
El Paso residents enjoy a relatively low cost of living compared to other cities in the United States. Combined with its growing size and numerous points of cultural and scenic interest, the El Paso area offers businesses a thriving community coupled with a pleasant and affordable cost of living. In the Second quarter of 2009, the index for El Paso was at 87.6 percent of the national average of 100 percent. The following graph illustrates how El Paso’s cost of living compares to other cities in the southwest.
INCOME
A combination of increased economic activity and a growing population will drive the rate of personal income expansion. In 2009, local personal income is expected to reach $21.5 billion. Moreover, El Paso will maintain its status as the hub of the border economy, contributing hundreds of millions per year to workers from Dona Ana and Otero Counties, as well as jobholders in Ciudad Juarez. Source: Border Region Modeling Project, UTEP, November 2008  
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2008.
EL PASO EMPLOYERS
El Paso’s economy has seen changes in recent years as new industries are arriving while other industries have left or reduced their impact in the City. Government services and trade, transportation and utilities have flourished in El Paso, as more than one half of the projected net job creation from 2003 to 2008 was in those service sectors. These industries accounted for more than a quarter of the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area’s workforce in 2008, and this trend is expected to continue. Employment in the manufacturing sector has dropped significantly over the last several years, while employment in the public sector has continued to remain strong. 10 TOP EMPLOYERS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CITY OF EL PASO  Source: Texas Workforce Commission, October 2009
RESIDENTIAL, CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE
Economic growth and the expansion at Ft. Bliss are stimulating demand for housing in El Paso. As of July 2009 the YTD average price of a home sold was $154,600, a significant increase over last year’s figure of $135,600, as estimated by Real Estate Center of Texas A &M University. Although the City has experienced a slight decrease in residential and commercial permit issuance over the past year, there is reason to remain optimistic. The expansion of Ft. Bliss combined with an overall increase in the number of homes sold this year places the community on the verge of a significant boom. While the nation as a whole saw home sales and prices plummet, El Paso ended FY09 with growth in sales, particularly in the 3rd and 4th quarter.  Development Services Department, 2009 Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, 2009
 Source: Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, September 2009
PROPERTY TAX STRUCTURE FOR ENTITIES IN EL PASO COUNTY The City of El Paso’s Tax Office provides its clients with a consolidated property tax bill and collects taxes for 31 taxing jurisdictions within the City and County of El Paso, Texas. The city’s per parcel cost of collection is $0.62, one of the lowest fees in Texas. The City incorporates a unique financing arrangement in which a law firm is contracted to collect delinquent property taxes. These reimbursements help to defray the per parcel cost of tax collection.
  THE CLIMATE
The sun shines 302 days per year in El Paso, 83 percent of daylight hours, according to the El Paso Weather Bureau. Low humidity and moderate rainfall combine to create a mild, year-round climate exclusive to the region. In addition to a long summer full of entertaining recreational and cultural events, El Pasoans enjoy the flexibility of attending many outdoor exhibitions, concerts, and sporting events well into the winter months. In fact, El Paso’s short winters provide numerous recreational opportunities throughout the year. AVERAGE SEASONAL TEMPERATURES IN EL PASO (Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit) Source: U.S. National Weather Services, El Paso Weather Bureau  |
 El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  El Paso and Fort Bliss  IMPORTANT NOTICE Russell-Realtor is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan. If you stop paying your mortgage, you could lose your home and damage your credit rating.
|
