PlainZIP

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
$77,272
Median income
$214,800
Median home value
27.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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.

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 Texas average), while per-capita income is $28,449. Poverty here runs at 12.0%, with unemployment measured at 5.2%. The typical home here is valued at $214,800 (13% below the state average); renters pay a median of $1,466 monthly, and 81.3% of units 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. Use the benchmarks above to see where 79938 sits relative to Texas and the national baseline rather than viewing the numbers in isolation.

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.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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

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 79938?

30.2

Median Age

52.3%

Male

47.7%

Female

20.3%

Foreign-Born

White 29.9%
African American 4.8%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 47.2%
Hispanic or Latino 82.5%

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

$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

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 51.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 27.8%

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

What does housing look like?

30,376

Total Housing Units

29,664

Occupied Units

712

Vacant Units

3.23

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 81.3%
Renter 18.7%

$214,800

Median Home Value

-13% vs state

$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.

More ZIP Codes in El Paso County

79936 standard
El Paso, TX
Pop: 111,086
79912 standard
El Paso, TX
Pop: 77,161
79924 standard
El Paso, TX
Pop: 59,058
79907 standard
El Paso, TX
Pop: 55,132
79928 standard
El Paso, TX
Pop: 49,544
79925 standard
El Paso, TX
Pop: 40,641

Related Areas

El Paso County El Paso, TX Texas

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.

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