79312 ZIP Code — Amherst, TX

Lamb County, Texas

ZIP code 79312 is located in Amherst, Texas, within Lamb County. It covers approximately 106.54 square miles and serves a population of 1,176 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 806.

About ZIP code 79312

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $49,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $53,646. Poverty affects 41% of residents, above the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with agriculture and mining as the leading industry. The average commute of 17 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 8% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

43% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 25% of households.

Overall, ZIP code 79312 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and high homeownership.

1,176
population
106.54
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
79312 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 79312

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 79312. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Amherst Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
79371 Sudan (10.4 mi) 79339 Littlefield (12.1 mi) 79353 Pep (13.3 mi) 79031 Earth (16.9 mi) 79324 Enochs (18.8 mi)
Demographics updated 06/2026
Population
Total population 1,176
Population density 11 / sq mi
State FIPS 48
County FIPS 279
Geography
Land area 106.54 sq mi
Water area 0.03 sq mi
Latitude 33.9643
Longitude -102.4701
Timezone Central (CT)
Area code 806
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics updated 06/2026
Household income
Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 54.5% 53.7% 39.5%
$50k – $100k 33.1% 32.1% 30.1%
$100k – $200k 12.4% 12.5% 22.6%
Over $200k 0.0% 1.7% 7.8%

Demographics & statistics

1,176
Population
11
People per sq mi
37.6
Median age
$53,646
Median household income
$18,642
Per capita income
$49,400
Median home value
$593
Median monthly rent
78.3%
Home ownership
41.4%
Poverty rate
1.1%
Unemployment
328
Housing units
7.6%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
13
Under 5
16
61
5–9
80
43
10–14
56
29
15–19
38
31
20–24
42
60
25–34
80
84
35–44
111
60
45–54
80
30
55–59
40
15
60–64
19
50
65–74
66
19
75–84
26
12
85+
15
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1831126.4%
18 and over86573.6%
65 and over18816.0%
Median age37.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 67%
Hispanic or Latino 12.3%
Two or more races 9.6%
Black or African American 5.1%
Asian 3.1%
Other race 2.8%
GroupCount%
White89867%
Hispanic or Latino16512.3%
Two or more races1299.6%
Black or African American695.1%
Asian423.1%
Other race382.8%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 54.5% 53.7% 39.5%
$50k – $100k 33.1% 32.1% 30.1%
$100k – $200k 12.4% 12.5% 22.6%
Over $200k 0.0% 1.7% 7.8%
Under $10k 1.0%
$10k–$15k 7.3%
$15k–$25k 7.0%
$25k–$35k 15.0%
$35k–$50k 9.6%
$50k–$75k 27.8%
$75k–$100k 14.4%
$100k–$150k 11.8%
$150k–$200k 6.1%
Range% of households
Under $10k1.0%
$10k–$15k7.3%
$15k–$25k7.0%
$25k–$35k15.0%
$35k–$50k9.6%
$50k–$75k27.8%
$75k–$100k14.4%
$100k–$150k11.8%
$150k–$200k6.1%
Median income$53,646

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 50.2%
$50k–$100k 28.2%
$100k–$150k 1.2%
$150k–$200k 7.8%
$200k–$300k 11.8%
$300k–$500k 0.8%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$49,400
Median rent / month$593
Owner occupied78.3%
Renter occupied21.7%
Vacant21.0%
Single-family detached90.2%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes6.1%
Median rooms5.2
Avg household size (owned)4.04

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20191.8%
2000–20094.0%
1990–19997.6%
1980–19898.6%
1970–19798.6%
1960–196911.4%
1950–195928.0%
1940–194918.9%
1939 or earlier11.1%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)3.3%
1 bedroom2.5%
2 bedrooms26.0%
3 bedrooms57.6%
4 bedrooms7.8%
5+ bedrooms2.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle2.6%
1 vehicle23.6%
2 vehicles32.6%
3 or more41.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas52.1%
Electricity45.7%
Propane / LP gas1.3%
No fuel used1.0%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family16352.1%
Cohabiting couple123.8%
Male householder, no spouse10132.3%
Female householder, no spouse3711.8%
Households with children under 1811436.4%
Households with seniors (65+)11336.1%
Average household size3.65

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married29.1%21.1%
Married47.9%55.9%
Separated3.3%1.6%
Widowed4.4%18.1%
Divorced15.2%3.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 12.3%
Some HS, no diploma 12.0%
HS graduate 46.5%
Some college, no degree 14.1%
Associate's degree 7.6%
Bachelor's degree 6.5%
Graduate / professional 1.0%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher75.7%
Bachelor's or higher7.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool20.6%
Kindergarten154.5%
Elementary school16549.3%
High school12437.0%
College / grad school298.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Agriculture & mining 19.2%
Transportation & utilities 18.1%
Arts, food & hospitality 14.3%
Professional & management 14.1%
Finance & real estate 7.1%
Manufacturing 5.1%
Retail trade 4.2%
Public administration 4.2%
Construction 4.0%
Education & healthcare 3.8%
Other services 2.4%
Wholesale trade 1.8%
Information 1.8%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts25.4%
Service17.7%
Sales & office19.9%
Natural resources & construction16.3%
Production & transportation20.8%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector70.2%
Government9.7%
Self-employed20.1%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone72.5%
Carpool12.8%
Public transit0.0%
Walk7.8%
Work from home6.9%
Other means0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)17.3

Poverty

All people 41.4%
Under 18 years 45.7%
18 and over 39.8%
Married-couple families 20.2%
Female-led households 65.0%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security27.8%
Retirement income15.7%
Supplemental Security11.5%
Cash public assistance0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP4.5%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity37.8%
High blood pressure39.0%
High cholesterol36.9%
Diabetes14.5%
Heart disease8.6%
Stroke4.1%
Asthma9.2%
Arthritis26.6%
Kidney disease3.8%
Pulmonary disease8.7%
Cancer7.1%
Behavior / access%
Smoking19.5%
Binge drinking16.5%
No physical activity31.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep34.1%
Depression21.2%
Fair or poor health22.5%
Poor mental health15.3%
Poor physical health13.8%
No health insurance34.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)71.9%
Visited dentist48.2%
Cholesterol screening88.9%
Teeth loss19.3%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans374.3%
Disability%
Any disability14.3%
Under 1813.8%
18–64 years9.0%
65 and over38.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance32.7%
Public insurance31.6%
No insurance43.0%
Uninsured under 1919.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only1,14797.5%
Spanish28624.9%
Other Indo-European28124.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander50.4%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)80768.6%
Born in same state80068.0%
Born in different state64154.5%
Foreign born70.6%
Naturalized citizen36931.4%
Not a US citizen5514.9%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Arab746.3%
French171.4%
AncestryCount%
Italian110.9%
English20.2%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access26.6%
Internet access93.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 79312

What city is ZIP code 79312 in?

ZIP code 79312 is primarily assigned to Amherst, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 79312 in?

ZIP code 79312 falls within Lamb County, Texas.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 79312?

41% of residents in ZIP code 79312 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 79312?

8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 79312?

Approximately 25% of households in ZIP code 79312 speak Spanish as a primary language.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 79312?

The median home value in ZIP code 79312 is $49,400.

What timezone is ZIP code 79312 in?

ZIP code 79312 observes the CST timezone.

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