79720 ZIP Code — Big Spring, TX

Howard County, Texas

ZIP code 79720 is located in Big Spring, Texas, within Howard County. It covers approximately 986.02 square miles and serves a population of 32,297 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 432.

About ZIP code 79720

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 $132,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 66%.

Median household income is $66,655.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 22 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks. 16% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

32,297

population

986.02

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

79720 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 79720

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 79720. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Big Spring	Acceptable
Big Spring	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

79511 Coahoma (12.2 mi) 79748 Knott (13.9 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	32,297
Population density	33 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	227

Geography
Land area	986.02 sq mi
Water area	3.07 sq mi
Latitude	32.2910
Longitude	-101.4382
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	432

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.5%	42.1%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	34.8%	35.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	18.8%	19.0%	22.6%
Over $200k	3.9%	3.8%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

32,297

Population

People per sq mi

37.7

Median age

$66,655

Median household income

$32,903

Per capita income

$132,700

Median home value

$983

Median monthly rent

66.4%

Home ownership

14.5%

Poverty rate

5.4%

Unemployment

9,529

Housing units

14.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,059

Under 5

837

1,105

5–9

874

1,128

10–14

891

1,299

15–19

1,027

988

20–24

781

2,720

25–34

2,151

2,667

35–44

2,109

2,670

45–54

2,110

1,047

55–59

828

1,047

60–64

828

1,339

65–74

1,059

698

75–84

552

270

85+

213

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	7,046	21.8%
18 and over	25,251	78.2%
65 and over	4,131	12.8%
Median age	37.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 64.3%

Hispanic or Latino 13.5%

Two or more races 8.8%

Other race 6.5%

Black or African American 5.3%

Asian 1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	23,998	64.3%
Hispanic or Latino	5,031	13.5%
Two or more races	3,302	8.8%
Other race	2,429	6.5%
Black or African American	1,962	5.3%
Asian	384	1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	222	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.5%	42.1%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	34.8%	35.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	18.8%	19.0%	22.6%
Over $200k	3.9%	3.8%	7.8%

Under $10k 4.5%

$10k–$15k 5.1%

$15k–$25k 6.3%

$25k–$35k 10.7%

$35k–$50k 11.0%

$50k–$75k 17.3%

$75k–$100k 14.8%

$100k–$150k 16.5%

$150k–$200k 7.3%

$200k+ 6.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.5%
$10k–$15k	5.1%
$15k–$25k	6.3%
$25k–$35k	10.7%
$35k–$50k	11.0%
$50k–$75k	17.3%
$75k–$100k	14.8%
$100k–$150k	16.5%
$150k–$200k	7.3%
$200k+	6.4%
Median income	$66,655

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 17.8%

$50k–$100k 21.3%

$100k–$150k 16.7%

$150k–$200k 15.4%

$200k–$300k 17.0%

$300k–$500k 9.6%

$500k–$1M 2.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$132,700
Median rent / month	$983
Owner occupied	66.4%
Renter occupied	33.6%
Vacant	13.9%
Single-family detached	74.0%
Large apartment buildings	6.3%
Mobile homes	7.0%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.66

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	6.1%
2000–2009	5.9%
1990–1999	6.7%
1980–1989	8.1%
1970–1979	15.9%
1960–1969	20.5%
1950–1959	23.4%
1940–1949	8.5%
1939 or earlier	4.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.8%
1 bedroom	10.3%
2 bedrooms	25.9%
3 bedrooms	48.4%
4 bedrooms	12.3%
5+ bedrooms	1.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.4%
1 vehicle	35.1%
2 vehicles	38.8%
3 or more	20.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	51.3%
Electricity	44.2%
Propane / LP gas	4.0%
Wood	0.2%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,278	45.7%
Cohabiting couple	743	6.4%
Male householder, no spouse	2,708	23.5%
Female householder, no spouse	2,810	24.4%
Households with children under 18	4,224	36.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,843	24.6%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.0%	26.5%
Married	47.2%	46.7%
Separated	2.7%	2.5%
Widowed	3.1%	9.1%
Divorced	11.9%	15.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.9%

Some HS, no diploma 10.2%

HS graduate 35.4%

Some college, no degree 24.8%

Associate's degree 7.7%

Bachelor's degree 9.5%

Graduate / professional 4.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.9%
Bachelor's or higher	14.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	393	5.6%
Kindergarten	421	6.0%
Elementary school	3,354	47.9%
High school	1,501	21.4%
College / grad school	1,329	19.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.2%

Agriculture & mining 15.6%

Retail trade 8.9%

Transportation & utilities 8.2%

Construction 7.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.2%

Professional & management 6.3%

Manufacturing 6.2%

Public administration 5.1%

Other services 4.7%

Wholesale trade 2.6%

Finance & real estate 2.5%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.8%
Service	19.3%
Sales & office	17.2%
Natural resources & construction	16.7%
Production & transportation	15.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.1%
Government	17.4%
Self-employed	5.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.3%
Carpool	11.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.1%
Work from home	2.5%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.5

Poverty

All people 14.5%

Under 18 years 15.4%

18 and over 14.2%

Married-couple families 5.0%

Female-led households 35.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	26.0%
Retirement income	17.6%
Supplemental Security	4.9%
Cash public assistance	2.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.4%
High blood pressure	36.2%
High cholesterol	35.0%
Diabetes	13.7%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	23.0%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	5.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.3%
Binge drinking	18.7%
No physical activity	29.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.0%
Depression	21.7%
Fair or poor health	21.7%
Poor mental health	16.1%
Poor physical health	13.2%
No health insurance	34.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	69.8%
Visited dentist	47.1%
Cholesterol screening	86.4%
Teeth loss	18.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,693	6.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.1%
Under 18	4.3%
18–64 years	15.7%
65 and over	40.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.9%
Public insurance	30.9%
No insurance	16.3%
Uninsured under 19	7.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	30,401	94.1%
Spanish	2,636	8.7%
Other Indo-European	2,524	8.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	89	0.3%
Other languages	3	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	29,423	91.1%
Born in same state	29,134	90.2%
Born in different state	23,851	73.8%
Foreign born	289	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	2,874	8.9%
Not a US citizen	685	23.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,477	7.7%
French	2,385	7.4%
Arab	1,609	5%
Polish	110	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	90	0.3%
German	68	0.2%
Dutch	53	0.2%
Irish	16	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.7%
Internet access	94.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 79720

What city is ZIP code 79720 in?

ZIP code 79720 is primarily assigned to Big Spring, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 79720 in?

ZIP code 79720 falls within Howard County, Texas.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 79720?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 79720?

The median home value in ZIP code 79720 is $132,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 79720?

ZIP code 79720 has an estimated population of 32,297 residents, with a density of 33 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 79720?

The median household income in ZIP code 79720 is $66,655, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 79720 in?

ZIP code 79720 observes the CST timezone.