PlainZIP

Cotton Center, TX · standard

ZIP Code 79021

Hale County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

138
3/sq mi
$51,094
Median income
3.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Cotton Center pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country, in a rural, renter-heavy area.

15th pct
household income, US ZIPs
3
people per sq mi
24%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 79021 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 79021 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Cotton Center, Hale County, Texas, home to just 138 residents across 44.5 square miles, a density of 3 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 79021 reports a modest median household income of $51,094 (32% below the Texas average), while per-capita income is $29,476. Local economic indicators show a 43.5% poverty rate alongside 0.0% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is - with median rent at $625 per month, and 23.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 3.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 29.8, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 3 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 79021, plus 5 more within Hale County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 79021, Cotton Center, TX · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

138

Population

44.5

Area (sq mi)

3

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 79021?

29.8

Median Age

52.2%

Male

47.8%

Female

6.5%

Foreign-Born

White 93.5%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.5%
Hispanic or Latino 13.0%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$51,094

Median Household Income

-32% vs state

$29,476

Per Capita Income

43.5%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 79021 ranks nationally

Cotton Center, TX household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$51,094 15th percentile higher than 15% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 46.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 3.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

30

Total Housing Units

17

Occupied Units

13

Vacant Units

2.71

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 23.5%
Renter 76.5%

$625

Median Rent

1971

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 3 business establishments in ZIP 79021, employing approximately 15 people with a combined annual payroll of $449,000.

3

Businesses

15

Employees

$449K

Annual Payroll

0

Industry Sectors

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 79021 vs 79369 →

ZIP 79021 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 79021 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 79021 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 79021 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
79369 Spade, TX 88 7.0 mi
79041 Hale Center, TX 3,194 7.0 mi
79311 Abernathy, TX 3,445 11.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Hale County

79072 standard
Plainview, TX
Pop: 28,849
79311 standard
Abernathy, TX
Pop: 3,445
79041 standard
Hale Center, TX
Pop: 3,194
79250 standard
Petersburg, TX
Pop: 1,508
79032 standard
Edmonson, TX
Pop: 157

Related Areas

Hale County Cotton Center, TX Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 79021 in? ▼
ZIP code 79021 (Cotton Center) is located in Hale County, Texas. Hale County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/hale-tx.
What is the population of ZIP code 79021? ▼
ZIP code 79021 in Cotton Center, TX has a population of 138 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 79021? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 79021 is $51,094, which is 33% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 79021? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 79021 is White at 93.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 13.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 79021? ▼
ZIP code 79021 has 3 business establishments employing approximately 15 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 79021? ▼
In ZIP code 79021, 46.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 3.3% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 79021? ▼
In ZIP code 79021, approximately 23.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 76.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 79021? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 79021 is 43.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

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