Tornillo, TX · standard
ZIP Code 79853
El Paso County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,729
- 46/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $42,234
- Median income Below-median income area
- $83,200
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 6.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Tornillo pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 7th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 5th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 46
- people per sq mi
- 92%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 79853 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 79853 covers 80.7 square miles in Tornillo, El Paso County, Texas (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,729 residents on file, a density of 46 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 79853 reports a modest median household income of $42,234 (44% below the average Texas ZIP), while per-capita income is $21,755. The poverty rate is 33.1%, 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 $83,200 (66% below the average Texas ZIP); owner occupancy is 91.6%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 6.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.2, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in El Paso County, so 79853 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 →
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 79853, Tornillo, 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
3,729
Population
80.7
Area (sq mi)
46
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 79853?
40.2
Median Age
49.4%
Male
50.6%
Female
37.6%
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?
$42,234
Median Household Income
-44% vs state ZIP avg
$21,755
Per Capita Income
33.1%
Poverty Rate
6.1%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 79853 ranks among Texas ZIPs
Tornillo, 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)
$42,234 7th percentile higher than 7% 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
862housing units
862
Total Housing Units
802
Occupied Units
60
Vacant Units
3.35
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$83,200
Median Home Value
-66% vs state ZIP avg
1996
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 79853, employing approximately 138 people with a combined annual payroll of $10,303,000.
20
Businesses
138
Employees
$10.3M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 25.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 15.0% |
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 79853 vs 79838 →
ZIP 79853 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 79838
Fabens (79838)
8,699 residents
- 79836
Clint (79836)
5,772 residents
- 79853
Tornillo (79853)
3,729 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 79853 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 79853 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 79836
Clint (79836)
$59,003 median income
- 79838
Fabens (79838)
$43,367 median income
- 79853
Tornillo (79853)
$42,234 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 79853 ranks #3 of 3 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 79853, 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 (3,729 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 79853 in?
ZIP code 79853 (Tornillo) 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 79853?
ZIP code 79853 in Tornillo, TX has a population of 3,729 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 79853?
The median household income in ZIP 79853 is $42,234, which is 45% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 79853?
The median home value in ZIP 79853 is $83,200, which is 70% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 79853?
The largest racial group in ZIP 79853 is Two or More Ethnicities at 53.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 99.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 79853?
ZIP code 79853 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 138 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 79853?
In ZIP code 79853, 28.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 6.7% 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 79853?
In ZIP code 79853, approximately 91.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 8.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 79853?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 79853 is 33.1% 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 79853's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 79853 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Tornillo, TX ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.