Abilene, TX · standard
ZIP Code 79606
Taylor County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 22,885
- 141/sq mi
- $79,196
- Median income
- $272,600
- Median home value
- 37.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Abilene pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 39%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 38%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 141
- people per sq mi
- 53%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 79606 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 79606 (Abilene, TX) rose +2.6% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 240.7 in 2023 to 246.9 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 79606 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, with 22,885 residents across 161.8 square miles, a density of 141 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 79606 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $79,196 (5% above the average Texas ZIP), while per-capita income is $42,942. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 6.9% and unemployment is 2.0%. Median home value is $272,600 (10% above the average Texas ZIP) and median rent is $1,194; 53.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 37.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 34.3, and the average commute is 17 minutes. The page also surfaces 7 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Taylor County, so 79606 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 79606
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Abilene, TX
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 79606.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
139 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
128 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
88 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
57 establishments
- Construction 55
Construction
55 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 79606, 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
22,885
Population
161.8
Area (sq mi)
141
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 79606?
34.3
Median Age
48.6%
Male
51.4%
Female
6.9%
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?
$79,196
Median Household Income
+5% vs state ZIP avg
$42,942
Per Capita Income
6.9%
Poverty Rate
2.0%
Unemployment Rate
17.1 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
13,710housing units
13,710
Total Housing Units
12,267
Occupied Units
1,443
Vacant Units
2.34
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$272,600
Median Home Value
+10% vs state ZIP avg
$1,194
Median Rent
1989
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
+2.6%
YoY Change (2024)
247
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+147%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 79606 have increased 2.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +147% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +1.0% | 183 |
| 2021 | +10.4% | 202 |
| 2022 | +16.2% | 234 |
| 2023 | +2.7% | 241 |
| 2024 | +2.6% | 247 |
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 691 business establishments in ZIP 79606, employing approximately 13,541 people with a combined annual payroll of $562,742,000.
691
Businesses
13,541
Employees
$562.7M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 139 | 20.1% |
| Retail trade | 128 | 18.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 88 | 12.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 57 | 8.3% |
| Construction | 55 | 8.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 53 | 7.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 44 | 6.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 33 | 4.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 26 | 3.8% |
| Information | 18 | 2.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 14 | 2.0% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 11 | 1.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 9 | 1.3% |
| Manufacturing | 6 | 0.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 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 79606 vs 79607 →
ZIP 79606 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
- 79562 3,669
Tuscola (79562)
3,669 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
- 79699 321
Abilene (79699)
321 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 79606 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 79606 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 79562
Tuscola (79562)
$109,572 median income
- 79508
Buffalo Gap (79508)
$105,000 median income
- 79606
Abilene (79606)
$79,196 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 79606 ranks #3 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 79606, 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 (22,885 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.