CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

31.64° N · 106.26° W · GEOID 4868636

Socorro

El Paso County, Texas · part of the El Paso, TX metro

TexasSocorro, TXSocorroSocorro

The short answer

Socorro is home to 37,123 people. Median household income is $54,744 a year and median rent is $1,032 a month, 22.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $144,500, about 2.6x annual median household income.

Socorro is defined by its growth. The population grew 13.1% since 2020, faster than in 89% of places its size. So far it looks sustainable: pay is keeping up with rent, home prices have tracked incomes, there is some slack in the housing stock and rent burden is moderate. Also notable: Population change slowed in the latest estimate: +0.1% from 2024 to 2025, against +2.8% a year before that.

29OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Socorro scores better than 29% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 269th of 407 in Texas.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%60
Economy 20%34
Safety 20%56
Amenities 15%17
Education 10%5
Commute 10%39
Growth 5%95
Median gross rent
$1,032
24% below the median place
Median household income
$54,744
32% below the median place
Median home value
$144,500
55% below the median place
Unemployment
4.8%
1% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Socorro

  • AffordabilityAfter the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $45,200 a year, less than in 86% of the 907 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Socorro

El Paso County loses about 5.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in29,401
Moved out33,152
Net−3,751

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Texas, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TexasOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$54K
Leavers$58K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of El Paso County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
2.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.5% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into El Paso County report $53,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $57,800, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$41,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,032 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,469 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $144,500.
Getting to work
27 minutes each way on average; 6.9% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Sunland Park, NM matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
2.1%
64% below the median place
Moved from another state1
0.5%
76% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$53,938
24% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSocorroAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year12.1%64% below
Moved from another state10.5%76% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-5.1below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$53,93824% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$57,83718% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeowners pay a median of about 2.2% of home value a year in property tax, more than in 92% of the 912 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Socorro22.6%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$41,280
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
22.6%
11% above the median place
Home price to income
2.6x
31% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
23%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$45,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Socorro, $1,032 a month, and local prices for everything else (93.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Socorro, but easier on the budget

Places that match Socorro on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Sunland Park, NM9217.6% vs 22.6%$8,900Compare
Live Oak, CA8516.5% vs 22.6%$14,200Compare
Alamo, TX8417.0% vs 22.6%$6,300Compare
Pasco, WA8417.2% vs 22.6%$24,900Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Socorro.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Socorro? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
2.2%
140% above the median place
Median home value1
$144,500
55% below the median place
Median year built1
2000
1% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureSocorroAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,03224% below
Rent to income122.6%11% above
Property tax rate12.2%140% above
Home price to income12.6x31% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure89.911% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,14629% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,1573% below
Median home value1$144,50055% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.9%11% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure56.5%10% above
Homeownership181.8%23% above
Renters paying 30%+153.1%5% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,46922% below
Vacant homes15.4%23% below
Median year built120001% above
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $21,099, 47% below the median place.

Income per person1
$21,099
47% below the median place
Poverty rate1
20.7%
92% above the median place
Median household income1
$54,744
32% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home6.9% −44%
Mean commute27 min +8%
Unemployment4.8% −1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSocorroAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$54,74432% below
Income per person1$21,09947% below
Unemployment14.8%1% below
Average annual pay5County figure$51,51522% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure2.6%30% below
Jobs5County figure338,016124% above
Poverty rate120.7%92% above
Mean commute127 min8% above
Works from home16.9%44% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.8%9% below
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 32.8%, above the median place (median 6.4%).

No health insurance1
32.8%
above the median place (median 6.4%)
High school or higher1
70.6%
24% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
12.8%
60% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size3.3 +30%
Born abroad32.3% 3.7×
Median age32.4 −17%
Homes with broadband88.9% −4%
All 9 people measures
MeasureSocorroAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population137,1231215th largest
Population change since 2020613.1%above (median 1.1%)
Median age132.417% below
Bachelor's or higher112.8%60% below
High school or higher170.6%24% below
Household size13.330% above
Born abroad132.3%266% above
No health insurance132.8%above (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband188.9%4% below
05

Life in Socorro

About 0 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, fewer than in 91% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 415 Texas places we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1680. 4 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Rio Vista Bracero Reception CenterLandmark
  • Socorro Mission listed 1972
  • Mission Socorro Archeological Site listed 1993
  • Rio Vista Farm Historic District listed 1996

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents9.2 −10%
Playgrounds per 10k2.7 −71%
Grocery stores per 10k0.8 −62%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1.4 −88%
Libraries per 10k0.3 −69%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Chamizal National Memorial 15 miles
  • White Sands National Park 79 miles
  • Guadalupe Mountains National Park 84 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.8 +0%
Shops25.6 −16%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.6 −37%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.2 −10%
Child care centers1.8 −22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools13
2
78% below the median place
Public school students13
1,286
74% below the median place
Students per teacher13
18.9
23% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSocorroAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13278% below
Public school students131,28674% below
Students per teacher1318.923% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.80% above
Shops per 10k8County figure25.616% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.637% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure18.210% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.822% below
Parks per 10k99.210% below
Playgrounds per 10k92.771% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.862% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k91.488% below
Libraries per 10k90.369% below
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1014.553% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11469% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 264, 38% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
264
38% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
692
43% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Annual precipitation14
9.5 in
78% below the median place
July average high14
96°F
10% above the median place
Median air quality index16
70
63% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSocorroAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure96°F10% above
January average low14County figure31°F22% above
Average temperature14County figure64°F17% above
Annual precipitation14County figure9.5 in78% below
Natural hazard risk15County figure95.53% above
Hurricane risk15County figure41.142% below
Tornado risk15County figure34.857% below
Wildfire risk15County figure71.016% above
Heat wave risk15County figure98.710% above
Median air quality index16County figure7063% above
Good air days16County figure18.1%74% below
08

Socorro in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 23% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 23% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Socorro does better than 59% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 59%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,032/mo (2024)$1,350/mo$1,100 to $1,640/mo+4.5%
Median household income$54,744 (2024)$70,500$59,500 to $83,000+4.3%
Median home value$144,500 (2024)$208,000$151,000 to $287,000+6.3%
Population38,787 (2025)41,32039,640 to 43,080+1.3%

The median home would be worth 3.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Socorro

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Snyder, TX$1,033$57,902Compare
Jonesboro, GA$1,068$50,843Compare
Lacy-Lakeview, TX$917$56,924Compare
Sinton, TX$938$51,701Compare
Sinton, TXLacy-Lakeview, TXJonesboro, GASnyder, TXSocorro, TXSocorroSnyderJonesboroLacy-LakeviewSintonSocorroSnyderJonesboroLacy-LakeviewSinton

Places built like Socorro

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Socorro performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Socorro, TX22.6%7.5%/yr13.1%
San Juan, TX20.4%6.8%/yr7.2%Compare
Channelview, TX23.8%0.3%/yrn/aCompare
Mission Bend, TX31.2%1.2%/yrn/aCompare
Alamo, TX17.0%7.5%/yr5.7%Compare
Palmview, TX18.5%8.4%/yr0.3%Compare
Horizon City, TX23.4%1.7%/yr11.8%Compare

Common questions

Is Socorro a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 29 out of 100, better than 29% of the places we rate and 269th of 407 in Texas. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $45,200 a year, less than in 86% of the 907 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 62 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Socorro expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 22.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $144,500.

What salary do you need to live in Socorro?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $41,280 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Socorro safe?

There were 264 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Socorro?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Snyder, TX, Jonesboro, GA, Lacy-Lakeview, TX and Sinton, TX.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Socorro with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Socorro itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/socorro-texas

Citytistics. “Socorro, Texas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/socorro-texas/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.