El Paso has recently been named as one of the best cities for Generation Z, or Gen Z for short. This generation, born between the late 1990s to early 2010s, are today’s young adults and teens, and apparently El Paso is a city for them.  

According to a recent study by the real estate blog, CommercialCafe, El Paso ranked ninth out of 20 American cities as a hotspot for Gen Z. 

The cities on the list were ranked by the following criteria: affordability, percent of Gen Zers, school enrollment, unemployment rate, internet speed, recreational establishments, green commuting and parks per 10,000 residents. 

According to the CommercialCafe statistics, 8.2 percent of El Paso is Gen Z, which is equivalent to a little over 50,000 people. This was calculated using the city’s population in 2022 from World Population Review.  

By placing in the top 10 best cities for Gen Z, El Paso has established itself as a destination for the next generation, especially during a time when inflation and living expenses have gone up. 

“Finding affordable housing is almost impossible in Central Texas cities, leaving Gen Z with more apartment leases bring broken, and applications for income-based living,” said Chelsey Tercero, Public Relations Specialist for Orange Box Enterprises. “Gen Z’s worry of this in El Paso is almost non-existent due to affordability and fair wage. As someone who is Gen Z, El Paso is great for my generation with housing costs being so low. I am no longer working just to survive.” 

Although El Paso is home to more Gen Zers than cities like Austin, there is a higher unemployment rate for the generation and not as many entertainment options like Texas’ capital. However, that should not stop members of the generation from living in the city, as El Paso is the fifth most affordable of the cities studied for Gen Zers. 

Apart from the factors that make El Paso one of the best cities in the country for Gen Z, this generation also seems to be heavily involved with issues in the community. 

El Paso is a city with a lot of its citizens being aware of what is happening on the border since it is so close, and that includes Gen Z as well. 

“I feel it’s very progressive. Even though we live in a red state, it’s a blue city,” said Natalie Samaniego, a UTEP student majoring in advertising. “Also, because of the border, (we’re) more aware of immigration issues, and Gen-Z is more politically aware of (these) things.” 

While Gen Zers make up a minority population for the city of El Paso, it remains one of the top destinations for the group to live. Being an affordable city, Gen Zers will have better access to cheaper housing and other living necessities than the other cities mentioned. Even though factors like entertainment and unemployment are not in excess like other cities, El Paso is still a prime destination for a generation getting ready to become the next leaders of the country. 

Elisha Nunez is a staff reporter and may be reached at [email protected]