Fabens, TX · standard
ZIP Code 79838
El Paso County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 8,699
- 114/sq mi High-density area
- $43,367
- Median income Below-median income area
- $95,800
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 12.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Fabens pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 8th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 8th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 114
- people per sq mi
- 73%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 79838 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 79838 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Fabens, El Paso County, Texas, home to 8,699 residents across 76.2 square miles, a density of 114 people per square mile, in the Ojinaga time zone.
ZIP 79838 reports a modest median household income of $43,367 (43% below the average Texas ZIP), while per-capita income is $21,080. The poverty rate is 27.4%, 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 $95,800 (61% below the average Texas ZIP), and median rent is $606; owner occupancy is 72.6%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.7, and the average commute is 30 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in El Paso County, so 79838 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 79838
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fabens, TX
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 79838.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
18 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
9 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 6
Health care and social assistance
6 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 6
Accommodation and food services
6 establishments
- Finance and insurance 4
Finance and insurance
4 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 79838, Fabens, 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
8,699
Population
76.2
Area (sq mi)
114
People / sq mi
Ojinaga
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 79838?
46.7
Median Age
48.5%
Male
51.5%
Female
36.2%
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?
$43,367
Median Household Income
-43% vs state ZIP avg
$21,080
Per Capita Income
27.4%
Poverty Rate
3.6%
Unemployment Rate
29.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 79838 ranks among Texas ZIPs
Fabens, TX household income vs. every Texas ZIP code
Median household income among 1,737 reporting Texas ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$43,367 8th percentile higher than 8% of 1,737 Texas ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Texas 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
2,210housing units
2,210
Total Housing Units
1,850
Occupied Units
360
Vacant Units
2.68
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$95,800
Median Home Value
-61% vs state ZIP avg
$606
Median Rent
1987
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 61 business establishments in ZIP 79838, employing approximately 581 people with a combined annual payroll of $20,109,000.
61
Businesses
581
Employees
$20.1M
Annual Payroll
7
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 18 | 29.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 9 | 14.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 6 | 9.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 6 | 9.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 4 | 6.6% |
| Information | 3 | 4.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 3 | 4.9% |
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 79838 vs 79836 →
ZIP 79838 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 79928
El Paso (79928)
49,544 residents
- 79849 13,208
San Elizario (79849)
13,208 residents
- 79838 8,699
Fabens (79838)
8,699 residents
- 79836 5,772
Clint (79836)
5,772 residents
- 79853 3,729
Tornillo (79853)
3,729 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 79838 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 79838 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 79928
El Paso (79928)
$76,643 median income
- 79836
Clint (79836)
$59,003 median income
- 79849
San Elizario (79849)
$44,831 median income
- 79838
Fabens (79838)
$43,367 median income
- 79853
Tornillo (79853)
$42,234 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 79838 ranks #4 of 5 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 79838, 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 (8,699 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in El Paso County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 79838 in?
ZIP code 79838 (Fabens) is located in El Paso County, Texas. El Paso County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/el-paso-tx.
What is the population of ZIP code 79838?
ZIP code 79838 in Fabens, TX has a population of 8,699 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 79838?
The median household income in ZIP 79838 is $43,367, which is 43% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 79838?
The median home value in ZIP 79838 is $95,800, which is 66% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 79838?
The largest racial group in ZIP 79838 is Two or More Ethnicities at 56.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 93.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 79838?
ZIP code 79838 has 61 business establishments employing approximately 581 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 79838?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 79838 are: Retail trade (18), Other services (except public administration) (9), Health care and social assistance (6). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 79838?
In ZIP code 79838, 37.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 79838?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 79838 is 29.7 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 79838?
In ZIP code 79838, approximately 72.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 79838?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 79838 is 27.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 79838's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 79838 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Fabens, TX ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.