El Paso is 4th worst paying city according to this article

[TexasCCW]

Yeah, you won't find any neighborhoods like that in DFW.

[mistabinks]

Originally Posted by TexasCCW

Yeah, you won't find any neighborhoods like that in DFW.

lol, indeed. good post.

[Violet West]

Although I think this thread has gotten off track a bit, the housing sprawl and the low wages are connected. Here's why:

Typically, the least affordable U.S. housing markets are that way because home prices are so high. Not El Paso. Here, incomes are so low that it's difficult for a large number of residents to afford even the most modestly-priced homes.

10 least affordable cities to buy a home - El Paso, Texas (10) - CNNMoney

Yes, there are lots of unoccupied and older homes closer to the center and infrastructure. But they are older and need updating--most of the time a LOT of updating and people can't afford to do it, and lenders aren't doing the FHA rehab loans that will let them finance that in because they're so much hassle. So people buy the "sprawl" - new construction homes that are already built with new roofs, energy efficient windows. etc.

Emphasis on education and business development are key to raising the wages and standard of living here.

[Blerg]

You have to consider how heavily influenced that number is by military. We have A LOT of enlisted military who don't make much. That's not necessarily reflective of El Paso itself.

[EAMUS CATULI]

Okay you really want to know why wages are so low....people living in Mexico. Simple as that. Thousands of people living in Mexico and working in El Paso. Not only American's but probably thousands of green card holders who live in Mexico and work in the US. What this does is creates a huge class of people who have a much lower cost of living as those on this side of the border. When your housing, electric, gas, telephone, internet etc etc is substantially less than the US counterparts you don't have to work for much. Look at what someone makes here in El Paso doing roofing compared to other parts of the country it's a joke. Want to fix it? Easy start making all these green carders live in the US as they are suppose to says the law....and not be a border crossersucking the US dry.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by EAMUS CATULI

Okay you really want to know why wages are so low....people living in Mexico. Simple as that. Thousands of people living in Mexico and working in El Paso. Not only American's but probably thousands of green card holders who live in Mexico and work in the US. What this does is creates a huge class of people who have a much lower cost of living as those on this side of the border. When your housing, electric, gas, telephone, internet etc etc is substantially less than the US counterparts you don't have to work for much. Look at what someone makes here in El Paso doing roofing compared to other parts of the country it's a joke. Want to fix it? Easy start making all these green carders live in the US as they are suppose to says the law....and not be a border crossersucking the US dry.

There is that and also the cultural difference of grown children with their children still living in their parent's home so they also don't have to pay mortgage, rent, property taxes, babysitters, and so on. It's easy to accept lower wages when you don't have the normal living costs.