El Paso, TX · standard
ZIP Code 79938
El Paso County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 53,520
- 57/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $77,272
- Median income Near-median income area
- $214,800
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 27.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
El Paso pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated and unusually populous area.
- Top 42%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 48th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 57
- people per sq mi
- 81%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 79938 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 79938 (El Paso, TX) rose +1.5% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 229.9 in 2023 to 233.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 79938 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, with 53,520 residents across 943.9 square miles, a density of 57 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 79938 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $77,272 (2% above the average Texas ZIP), while per-capita income is $28,449. The poverty rate is 12.0%, with unemployment at 5.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $214,800 (13% below the average Texas ZIP) and median rent is $1,466; 81.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 27.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.2, and the average commute is 29 minutes. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Texas and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 79938.
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 79938
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in El Paso, TX
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 79938.
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
125 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
111 establishments
- Construction
Construction
109 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
98 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
94 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 79938, El Paso, 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
53,520
Population
943.9
Area (sq mi)
57
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 79938?
30.2
Median Age
52.3%
Male
47.7%
Female
20.3%
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?
$77,272
Median Household Income
+2% vs state ZIP avg
$28,449
Per Capita Income
12.0%
Poverty Rate
5.2%
Unemployment Rate
29.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 79938 ranks nationally
El Paso, TX household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$77,272 Top 42% higher than 58% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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
30,376housing units
30,376
Total Housing Units
29,664
Occupied Units
712
Vacant Units
3.23
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$214,800
Median Home Value
-13% vs state ZIP avg
$1,466
Median Rent
2011
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
+1.5%
YoY Change (2024)
233
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+133%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 79938 have increased 1.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +133% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.8% | 160 |
| 2021 | +12.9% | 181 |
| 2022 | +16.0% | 210 |
| 2023 | +9.4% | 230 |
| 2024 | +1.5% | 233 |
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 843 business establishments in ZIP 79938, employing approximately 10,318 people with a combined annual payroll of $409,095,000.
843
Businesses
10,318
Employees
$409.1M
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 125 | 14.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 111 | 13.2% |
| Construction | 109 | 12.9% |
| Retail trade | 98 | 11.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 94 | 11.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 69 | 8.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 40 | 4.7% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 38 | 4.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 38 | 4.5% |
| Manufacturing | 29 | 3.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 27 | 3.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 23 | 2.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 15 | 1.8% |
| Information | 10 | 1.2% |
| Educational services | 9 | 1.1% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 5 | 0.6% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.4% |
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 79938, 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 (53,520 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 79938 in?
ZIP code 79938 (El Paso) 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 79938?
ZIP code 79938 in El Paso, TX has a population of 53,520 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 79938?
The median household income in ZIP 79938 is $77,272, which is 1% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 79938?
The median home value in ZIP 79938 is $214,800, which is 23% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 79938?
The largest racial group in ZIP 79938 is Two or More Ethnicities at 47.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 82.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 79938?
ZIP code 79938 has 843 business establishments employing approximately 10,318 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 79938?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 79938 are: Accommodation and food services (125), Health care and social assistance (111), Construction (109). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 79938?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 79938 increased by 1.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 133%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 79938?
In ZIP code 79938, 51.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 27.8% 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 79938?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 79938 is 29.3 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 79938?
In ZIP code 79938, approximately 81.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 79938?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 79938 is 12.0% 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 79938's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 79938 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where El Paso, 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.