PlainZIP

Neighborhood Scorecard

Source:

79842 — Marathon, TX

The neighborhood scorecard for ZIP 79842 in Marathon, TX blends seven federal datasets into a single letter grade of F (39/100). The underlying inputs pulled for this ZIP include a median household income of $45,596, a median home value of $240,000, 24.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher, and an average commute of -. Every value comes directly from Census ACS 5-Year Estimates tied to ZIP 79842, not a national average mapped onto the ZIP.

Cross-agency inputs extend the score beyond Census demographics. Department of Labor county childcare data lists infant center-based care at $6,344 per year, which the scorecard weighs against local median income to form the childcare grade. If any of these feeds is missing for 79842, the scorecard transparently drops that dimension rather than inventing a score.

Reading the grade means reading the dimensions together. The overall F score for 79842 reflects a weighted blend, Income (20%), Safety (20%), Housing (15%), Rent (15%), Education (10%), Commute (10%), and Childcare (10%) - and each dimension is benchmarked against national percentiles rather than in-state-only comparisons. Areas pulling the overall grade down are income, education, housing.

F
Overall Score
39/100
79842 — Marathon, TX
Income F
$45,596
Median household income
Education F
24.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher
Housing F
5.3x
Home value $240,000 vs income
Commute N/A
N/A
Average commute time
Rent C+
$993/mo
2BR fair market rent (26% of income)
Safety N/A
N/A
Violent crime rate (county)
Childcare C
$6,344/yr
Center-based infant care (14% of income)

Score Breakdown

Income

F
$45,596

Median household income

Score: 31/100

Education

F
24.8%

Bachelor's degree or higher

Score: 39/100

Housing

F
5.3x

Home value $240,000 vs income

Score: 17/100

Commute

N/A
N/A

Average commute time

Rent

C+
$993/mo

2BR fair market rent (26% of income)

Score: 62/100

Safety

N/A
N/A

Violent crime rate (county)

Childcare

C
$6,344/yr

Center-based infant care (14% of income)

Score: 55/100

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Neighborhood Scorecard for ZIP 79842 - Marathon, TX: Grade F, Score 39/100
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What This Means

Marathon, TX (79842) receives an overall grade of F based on publicly available data from the Census Bureau, HUD, FBI, and Department of Labor. Challenges include income and education and housing. Data was unavailable for commute, safety — these dimensions were excluded from the overall score.

Full ZIP Code Data
Demographics, housing, income, and more for 79842
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the overall score for ZIP 79842?▼
ZIP 79842 (Marathon, TX) has an overall neighborhood score of 39/100, earning a grade of F. This score combines 7 dimensions: income, education, housing affordability, commute, rent, safety, and childcare costs.
Is 79842 a good place to live?▼
Based on Census, HUD, FBI, and DOL data, 79842 scores F overall. Areas that score lower: income, education, housing.
How is the neighborhood scorecard calculated?▼
The scorecard evaluates 7 dimensions weighted by importance: Income (20%), Safety (20%), Housing affordability (15%), Rent (15%), Education (10%), Commute (10%), and Childcare (10%). Each metric is compared against national benchmarks to produce a percentile score.

Official Data Resources

HUD Fair Market Rents → FBI Crime Statistics → NCES School Data →

Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates. Source: HUD Fair Market Rents. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Report. Source: DOL Childcare Costs. Verify with HUD →

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.