El Paso, TX Rental Market for Investors
An estimated 46% of El Paso's active listings could cash-flow as a short-term rental — here's what the numbers say for investors, as of October 2026.
As of October 2026, we analyzed 1,883 active for-sale homes in El Paso, Texas. The typical listing is priced at $319,950 and is projected to generate about $32,239 a year as a short-term rental.
After setting aside an estimated 20% for operating costs, an estimated 46.0% of those homes could still cover an investor mortgage payment on short-term-rental income — roughly in line with the 53.1% median across the 200 major metros we track, ranking El Paso #122 of 200 for cash-flow potential.
On market momentum: homes in El Paso sit a median of 67 days on the market, and 26% of active listings came on in just the last 30 days — a steadily paced market, which shapes how much room there is to negotiate.
For a DSCR loan — which qualifies on the property's rental income rather than your personal income — El Paso runs tighter once operating costs are accounted for: many listings need a below-median price, a stronger short-term-rental setup, or more money down before the income covers the payment. It's a market where running the numbers property-by-property matters.
What actually works in El Paso
Cash-flow is the exception rather than the rule in El Paso right now: 238 of the 1,700 El Paso homes, condos and townhomes we can price confidently clear a DSCR of 1.25. Nine in ten of them are priced under $331,000.
| Price | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $150k–$250k | 3%0.98 | 33%1.17 | 55%1.29 | — |
| $250k–$350k | 0%0.82 | 2%0.95 | 19%1.08 | 35%1.11 |
| $350k–$500k | — | 0%0.75 | 5%0.86 | 6%0.98 |
| $500k+ | — | 0%0.50 | 0%0.58 | 0%0.71 |
Darker means a larger share of that group cash-flows. “—” means fewer than 8 active listings — too few to draw a conclusion from.
El Paso in full
| Active for-sale homes analyzed | 1,883 |
|---|---|
| Median list price | $319,950 |
| Median projected STR revenue (annual, gross) | $32,239 |
| Median average daily rate (ADR) | $140 |
| Median occupancy | 63% |
| Median beds | 4 |
| Median size | 1,922 sqft |
| Estimated cash-flow-positive share | 46.0% |
| Median days on market | 67 days |
| New listings (last 30 days) | 25.6% of active |
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Estimates for educational purposes. Final terms subject to credit, property & program approval.
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Prefer to talk now? Call or text Chad: 858-353-8331.