Median Income
$61,696
household / year
Median Home Value
$143,500
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$863
gross / month
Cost of Living
89
national avg = 100

Is El Paso, IL a Good Place to Live?

El Paso is a small town of 2,855 in Illinois, with a median household income of $61,696 and a 4.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 89 (US average = 100), which is 11% below the national average.

Strengths: El Paso stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B-).

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether El Paso is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All El Paso city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 88.6

El Paso's overall cost of living index is 88.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in El Paso costs roughly 11% less than the average American city.

Metric El Paso, IL National Avg
Median Home Value $143,500 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $863 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 69.9% 65.9%
Median Household Income $61,696 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Crime data for El Paso is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.

Schools & Education

El Paso is served primarily by El Paso-Gridley CUSD 11. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).

Metric El Paso, IL National Avg
School District El Paso-Gridley CUSD 11 —
Elementary Schools 2 —
Middle Schools 1 —
High Schools 1 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 12.9:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.5% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 91.6% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

El Paso sees average highs of 32.8°F in January and 86.1°F in July, with 37.5 inches of annual precipitation and 27.9 inches of snow per year.

MetricEl Paso, IL
Average High — January32.8°F
Average High — July86.1°F
Annual Precipitation37.5"
Annual Snowfall27.9"

Demographics

MetricEl Paso, ILNational Avg
Population2,855—
Median Age35.338.9
Unemployment Rate4.6%3.7%
Avg Commute Time27.3 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)95.0%59.3%
Black or African American2.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino0.6%18.9%
Asian0.9%6.3%
Under 1825.5%22.2%
65 and over15.1%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Panola, IL 3 mi Kappa, IL 5 mi Secor, IL 6 mi Gridley, IL 7 mi Benson, IL 9 mi

ZIP Codes in El Paso

El Paso, IL is covered by 1 ZIP code:

61738

El Paso vs Other Cities

El Paso, IL vs Panola, IL El Paso, IL vs Kappa, IL El Paso, IL vs Secor, IL El Paso, IL vs Gridley, IL El Paso, IL vs Benson, IL

Frequently Asked Questions

El Paso's cost of living index is 89, where 100 is the national average. That makes El Paso roughly 11% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $143,500 and median rent is $863/month.
Crime data for El Paso is not available in the current FBI UCR reporting year. Not all jurisdictions submit data annually.
Public schools in El Paso are operated by El Paso-Gridley CUSD 11. The district has 2 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.9:1. 21.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
El Paso, IL has a population of 2,855, a median household income of $61,696, and an unemployment rate of 4.6%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
El Paso averages 32.8°F in January and 86.1°F in July. Annual rainfall is 37.5 inches with about 27.9 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
El Paso, IL is covered by 1 ZIP code: 61738.
The population of El Paso, Illinois is 2,855 with a median age of 35.3. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in El Paso: cost of living index 89 (100 = US average), median home $143,500, median household income $61,696, schools rated B-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare El Paso side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.