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ZipNumbers

El Paso County · Texas

ZIP code 79838

Population, income, housing costs and the sales tax rate charged on purchases inside ZIP 79838 — Census 2019-2023 ACS 5-year, no modelled estimates.
Population
4,813

ZCTA residents

Median income
$43,413

Household, past 12 months

Median home
$89,700

Owner-occupied value

Sales tax
6.25%

Texas state rate

Quick answer

ZIP 79838 sits in El Paso County, Texas and is home to 4,813 people. Median household income is $43,413, the median home is worth $89,700 and median gross rent is $645. 78% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 6.25% (Texas state rate).

County
El Paso County

FIPS 48141

State
Texas (TX)

1,989 ZIPs covered

Area codes
Not published

No NANPA match for this ZIP

Metro area
Outside covered metros

Rate jurisdiction used for tax

The numbers for 79838

American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.

Population
4,813ZIP 79838 residents
Median household income
$43,413Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value
$89,700Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent
$645Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age
44.5 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate
78%Owner-occupied households

Sales tax in 79838

What a purchase inside this ZIP costs at checkout.

Rate applied
6.25%State base rate only
Tax on $100
$6Rounded to the dollar
Tax on $1,000
$63Before any exemptions

Texas levies 6.25% statewide, and counties, cities and special districts inside this ZIP can add their own local rate on top. Check the county page for the local component before you quote a price.

Affordability in this ZIP

Derived from the Census medians above — indicative, not an offer.

Rent burden
18%Median rent ÷ median income
Price-to-income
2.1×Home value ÷ household income
Est. mortgage
$465/mo20% down, 30-yr at 6.75%
Poverty rate
22.4%Residents below poverty line

A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for cost-burdened households, and a price-to-income multiple above 4× is generally considered a stretched housing market. The mortgage figure is principal and interest only — taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra.

How 79838 compares

ZIP 79838 against the median ZIP in El Paso County and across Texas.

MeasureZIP 79838County medianState medianvs state
Median household income$43,413$53,980$68,103-36%
Median home value$89,700$128,250$194,900-54%
Median gross rent$645$1,039$1,105-42%
Population4,81318,5295,317-9%

Medians are computed across the 31 ZIP areas in El Paso County and the 1989 ZIP areas in Texas.

Statewide rank

Where this ZIP places among all 1989 Texas ZIP areas.

Income

richer than 9% of 1,756 state ZIPs

#1,592
Home value

above 9% of 1,705 state ZIPs

#1,546
Population

larger than 48% of 1,989 state ZIPs

#1,027

Comparable ZIP codes

Texas ZIP areas with almost the same household income.

ZIPCountyIncomeHome valueRent
79532Mitchell County$43,393$102,000$367
76681Navarro County$43,365$104,600
78561Willacy County$43,359$55,100
75630Cass County$43,281$133,200$863
78162Bee County$43,274$188,900
78376Duval County$43,571

Nearby ZIP codes

Other ZIP codes filed under El Paso County.

ZIP 79838 questions

Common questions about this ZIP code.

Where is ZIP code 79838?
ZIP 79838 lies mostly in El Paso County, Texas. County assignment follows the largest share of land area, so a ZIP straddling a county line is filed under its dominant county.
What sales tax do I pay in 79838?
Texas charges 6.25% statewide, plus any county, city or district rate that applies locally.
Is 79838 expensive to live in?
Median rent runs $645 a month, about 18% of median household income, and the median home is worth $89,700-54% against the typical Texas ZIP.
Is a ZCTA the same as a postal ZIP code?
Not exactly. The Census builds ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the ZIP codes of addresses inside each census block, so a ZCTA can differ slightly from the USPS delivery route of the same number, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA at all.

Related pages for this area.

Sources & transparency

Every figure on this page is a published estimate for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 79838, except the affordability ratios and mortgage estimate, which we derive from those medians and label as estimates.

Last reviewed December 2024. Figures are published for reference and can change; verify with the source agency before filing or contracting. How we build and check this data.