Abilene, TX · standard
ZIP Code 79603
Taylor County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 24,288
- 161/sq mi
- $53,513
- Median income
- $120,900
- Median home value
- 16.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Abilene pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 19th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 17th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 161
- people per sq mi
- 63%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 79603 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 79603 (Abilene, TX) rose +8.9% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 341.9 in 2023 to 372.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 79603 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, with 24,288 residents across 151.3 square miles, a density of 161 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 79603 reports a modest median household income of $53,513 (29% below the average Texas ZIP), while per-capita income is $25,590. The poverty rate is 22.5%, 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 $120,900 (51% below the average Texas ZIP), and median rent is $1,068; owner occupancy is 62.7%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.8, and the average commute is 16 minutes. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Taylor County, so 79603 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 79603
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Abilene, TX
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 79603.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
56 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
46 establishments
- Construction
Construction
31 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
31 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
28 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 79603, 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
24,288
Population
151.3
Area (sq mi)
161
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 79603?
35.8
Median Age
50.5%
Male
49.5%
Female
9.5%
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?
$53,513
Median Household Income
-29% vs state ZIP avg
$25,590
Per Capita Income
22.5%
Poverty Rate
3.1%
Unemployment Rate
15.5 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
9,885housing units
9,885
Total Housing Units
8,705
Occupied Units
1,180
Vacant Units
2.67
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$120,900
Median Home Value
-51% vs state ZIP avg
$1,068
Median Rent
1958
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
+8.9%
YoY Change (2024)
372
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+272%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 79603 have increased 8.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +272% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.2% | 215 |
| 2021 | +11.8% | 240 |
| 2022 | +17.7% | 283 |
| 2023 | +21.0% | 342 |
| 2024 | +8.9% | 372 |
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 335 business establishments in ZIP 79603, employing approximately 5,218 people with a combined annual payroll of $242,672,000.
335
Businesses
5,218
Employees
$242.7M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 56 | 16.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 46 | 13.7% |
| Construction | 31 | 9.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 31 | 9.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 28 | 8.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 28 | 8.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 19 | 5.7% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 18 | 5.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 17 | 5.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 13 | 3.9% |
| Manufacturing | 12 | 3.6% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 8 | 2.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 8 | 2.4% |
| Information | 7 | 2.1% |
| Educational services | 4 | 1.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 4 | 1.2% |
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 79603 vs 79563 →
ZIP 79603 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
- 79603
Abilene (79603)
24,288 residents
- 79606
Abilene (79606)
22,885 residents
- 79536 4,988
Merkel (79536)
4,988 residents
- 79607 2,865
Dyess Afb (79607)
2,865 residents
- 79508 1,242
Buffalo Gap (79508)
1,242 residents
- 79563 1,161
Tye (79563)
1,161 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 79603 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 79603 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 79508
Buffalo Gap (79508)
$105,000 median income
- 79606
Abilene (79606)
$79,196 median income
- 79536
Merkel (79536)
$71,131 median income
- 79605
Abilene (79605)
$62,929 median income
- 79607
Dyess Afb (79607)
$62,637 median income
- 79603
Abilene (79603)
$53,513 median income
- 79563
Tye (79563)
$49,276 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 79603 ranks #6 of 7 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 79603, 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 (24,288 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.