Marathon, TX · standard

ZIP Code 79842

Brewster County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

498
0/sq mi
$45,596
Median income
$240,000
Median home value
24.8%
Bachelor's or higher

National ZIP placement

Marathon pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

10th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 45%
home value, US ZIPs
0
people per sq mi
62%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 79842 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 79842 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Marathon, Brewster County, Texas, home to just 498 residents across 1660.0 square miles, a density of 0 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 79842 reports a modest median household income of $45,596 (40% below the average Texas ZIP), while per-capita income is $42,872. The poverty rate is 18.2%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $240,000 (3% below the average Texas ZIP); 62.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 24.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 56.6, and the average commute is -. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Texas and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 79842.

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 →

View your shortlist → Compare ZIPs →

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 79842, Marathon, 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

498

Population

1660.0

Area (sq mi)

0

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 79842?

56.6

Median Age

40.4%

Male

59.6%

Female

4.9%

Foreign-Born

White 100.0%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.0%
Hispanic or Latino 28.8%

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?

$45,596

Median Household Income

-40% vs state ZIP avg

$42,872

Per Capita Income

18.2%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 50.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 24.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

369

Total Housing Units

203

Occupied Units

166

Vacant Units

1.40

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 62.1%
Renter 37.9%

$240,000

Median Home Value

-3% vs state ZIP avg

1952

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 17 business establishments in ZIP 79842, employing approximately 178 people with a combined annual payroll of $6,021,000.

17

Businesses

178

Employees

$6.0M

Annual Payroll

1

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Accommodation and food services 5 29.4%

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 79842, both outside TX so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).

Similar median household income

Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.

More ZIP Codes in Brewster County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 79842 in?
ZIP code 79842 (Marathon) is located in Brewster County, Texas. Brewster County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/brewster-tx.
What is the population of ZIP code 79842?
ZIP code 79842 in Marathon, TX has a population of 498 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 79842?
The median household income in ZIP 79842 is $45,596, which is 40% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 79842?
The median home value in ZIP 79842 is $240,000, which is 14% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 79842?
The largest racial group in ZIP 79842 is White at 100.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 28.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 79842?
ZIP code 79842 has 17 business establishments employing approximately 178 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 79842?
In ZIP code 79842, 50.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 24.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 79842?
In ZIP code 79842, approximately 62.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 37.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 79842?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 79842 is 18.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Related

Compare this ZIP with another

Read our methodology : how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.