What salary do you need to live in El Paso, TX?
For a single person: about $56,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose TX-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,010 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and no state income tax (Texas doesn't have one).
Single person — est. essentials $3,279/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,279/mo
$46,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $3,935/mo
$56,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $4,919/mo
$72,000/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $4,516/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,516/mo
$62,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,419/mo
$76,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $6,774/mo
$96,000/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $5,458/mo
Tight
take-home covers $5,458/mo
$76,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $6,550/mo
$92,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $8,187/mo
$117,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $6,302/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,302/mo
$89,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,562/mo
$108,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,453/mo
$137,500/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,010) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Texas's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier. Local income taxes and property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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