Sweetwater, TX · standard
ZIP Code 79556
Nolan County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 12,995
- 17/sq mi
- $49,393
- Median income
- $94,900
- Median home value
- 15.3%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Sweetwater pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 13th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 8th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 17
- people per sq mi
- 66%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 79556 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 79556 (Sweetwater, TX) fell -2.7% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 293.4 in 2023 to 285.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 79556 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Sweetwater, Nolan County, Texas, home to 12,995 residents across 787.6 square miles, a density of 17 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 79556 reports a modest median household income of $49,393 (35% below the average Texas ZIP), while per-capita income is $31,681. The poverty rate is 23.7%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $94,900 (62% below the average Texas ZIP), and median rent is $903; owner occupancy is 66.0%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 15.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.5, and the average commute is 17 minutes. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Texas and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 79556.
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 →
Top industries in ZIP 79556
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sweetwater, TX
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 79556.
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
44 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
42 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
31 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
29 establishments
- Construction
Construction
23 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
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 79556, Sweetwater, 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
12,995
Population
787.6
Area (sq mi)
17
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 79556?
39.5
Median Age
51.3%
Male
48.7%
Female
4.1%
Foreign-Born
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?
$49,393
Median Household Income
-35% vs state ZIP avg
$31,681
Per Capita Income
23.7%
Poverty Rate
6.2%
Unemployment Rate
17.0 min
Mean Commute Time
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
6,192housing units
6,192
Total Housing Units
5,103
Occupied Units
1,089
Vacant Units
2.38
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$94,900
Median Home Value
-62% vs state ZIP avg
$903
Median Rent
1965
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
-2.7%
YoY Change (2024)
285
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+185%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 79556 have decreased 2.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +185% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -2.1% | 205 |
| 2021 | +19.5% | 246 |
| 2022 | +4.3% | 256 |
| 2023 | +14.5% | 293 |
| 2024 | -2.7% | 285 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 299 business establishments in ZIP 79556, employing approximately 4,476 people with a combined annual payroll of $224,599,000.
299
Businesses
4,476
Employees
$224.6M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 44 | 14.7% |
| Retail trade | 42 | 14.1% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 31 | 10.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 29 | 9.7% |
| Construction | 23 | 7.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 23 | 7.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 21 | 7.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 15 | 5.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 14 | 4.7% |
| Manufacturing | 10 | 3.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 10 | 3.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 10 | 3.3% |
| Information | 9 | 3.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 7 | 2.3% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 6 | 2.0% |
| Utilities | 4 | 1.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 79556, both outside TX so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (12,995 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.