Abilene, TX · standard
ZIP Code 79601
Taylor County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 25,085
- 39/sq mi
- $53,631
- Median income
- $190,200
- Median home value
- 23.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Abilene pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- 19th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 41st pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 39
- people per sq mi
- 49%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 79601 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 79601 (Abilene, TX) rose +6.7% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 251.5 in 2023 to 268.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 79601 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, with 25,085 residents across 644.9 square miles, a density of 39 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 79601 reports a modest median household income of $53,631 (29% below the average Texas ZIP), while per-capita income is $22,703. The poverty rate is 26.5%, 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 $190,200 (23% below the average Texas ZIP), and median rent is $1,031; owner occupancy is 49.2%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 29.8, and the average commute is 15 minutes. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Taylor County, so 79601 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 79601
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Abilene, TX
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 79601.
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
110 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
106 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
101 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
86 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
62 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 79601, Abilene, 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
25,085
Population
644.9
Area (sq mi)
39
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 79601?
29.8
Median Age
56.2%
Male
43.8%
Female
7.7%
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?
$53,631
Median Household Income
-29% vs state ZIP avg
$22,703
Per Capita Income
26.5%
Poverty Rate
5.9%
Unemployment Rate
14.6 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
9,780housing units
9,780
Total Housing Units
8,277
Occupied Units
1,503
Vacant Units
2.36
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$190,200
Median Home Value
-23% vs state ZIP avg
$1,031
Median Rent
1980
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
+6.7%
YoY Change (2024)
268
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+168%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 79601 have increased 6.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +168% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +1.1% | 191 |
| 2021 | +10.2% | 211 |
| 2022 | +16.2% | 245 |
| 2023 | +2.7% | 252 |
| 2024 | +6.7% | 268 |
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 745 business establishments in ZIP 79601, employing approximately 15,947 people with a combined annual payroll of $948,091,000.
745
Businesses
15,947
Employees
$948.1M
Annual Payroll
18
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 110 | 14.8% |
| Retail trade | 106 | 14.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 101 | 13.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 86 | 11.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 62 | 8.3% |
| Construction | 51 | 6.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 47 | 6.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 34 | 4.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 26 | 3.5% |
| Manufacturing | 25 | 3.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 25 | 3.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 19 | 2.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 11 | 1.5% |
| Information | 10 | 1.3% |
| Educational services | 10 | 1.3% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 8 | 1.1% |
| Utilities | 7 | 0.9% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 5 | 0.7% |
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 79601 vs 79699 →
ZIP 79601 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 79605
Abilene (79605)
30,098 residents
- 79601
Abilene (79601)
25,085 residents
- 79699 321
Abilene (79699)
321 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 79601 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 79601, 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 (25,085 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.