79842 ZIP Code — Marathon, TX

Brewster County, Texas

ZIP code 79842 is located in Marathon, Texas, within Brewster County. It covers approximately 828.74 square miles and serves a population of 340 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 432.

About ZIP code 79842

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $115,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 49%.

Median household income is $43,064.

The dominant occupation class is service, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 35% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

17% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

340

population

828.74

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

79842 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 79842

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 79842. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Marathon	Acceptable

Demographics updated 07/2026

Population
Total population	340
Population density	0 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	043

Geography
Land area	828.74 sq mi
Water area	0.96 sq mi
Latitude	30.0175
Longitude	-102.9277
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	432

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 07/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.7%	55.8%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	29.2%	25.8%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	7.1%	14.7%	22.6%
Over $200k	0.0%	3.7%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

340

Population

38.2

Median age

$43,064

Median household income

$30,796

Per capita income

$115,300

Median home value

$421

Median monthly rent

49.2%

Home ownership

11.5%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

254

Housing units

34.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	72	21.2%
18 and over	268	78.8%
65 and over	43	12.6%
Median age	38.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	340	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.7%	55.8%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	29.2%	25.8%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	7.1%	14.7%	22.6%
Over $200k	0.0%	3.7%	7.8%

$10k–$15k 14.7%

$15k–$25k 5.2%

$25k–$35k 15.7%

$35k–$50k 35.1%

$50k–$75k 6.8%

$75k–$100k 4.7%

$100k–$150k 17.8%

Range	% of households
$10k–$15k	14.7%
$15k–$25k	5.2%
$25k–$35k	15.7%
$35k–$50k	35.1%
$50k–$75k	6.8%
$75k–$100k	4.7%
$100k–$150k	17.8%
Median income	$43,064

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 27.7%

$50k–$100k 10.6%

$100k–$150k 28.7%

$200k–$300k 33.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$115,300
Median rent / month	$421
Owner occupied	49.2%
Renter occupied	50.8%
Vacant	45.6%
Single-family detached	90.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	7.7%
Median rooms	4.4
Avg household size (owned)	1.61

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.4%
2000–2009	1.1%
1990–1999	9.7%
1980–1989	18.2%
1970–1979	8.0%
1960–1969	2.8%
1950–1959	10.8%
1940–1949	16.8%
1939 or earlier	29.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.0%
1 bedroom	11.7%
2 bedrooms	38.7%
3 bedrooms	35.9%
4 bedrooms	9.7%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	12.0%
1 vehicle	11.0%
2 vehicles	38.7%
3 or more	38.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	31.4%
Propane / LP gas	64.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	69	36.1%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	33	17.3%
Female householder, no spouse	89	46.6%
Households with children under 18	81	42.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	30	15.7%
Average household size	1.78

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	10.7%	6.4%
Married	85.7%	75.0%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.0%	0.0%
Divorced	3.6%	18.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.5%

Some HS, no diploma 12.9%

HS graduate 15.6%

Some college, no degree 7.8%

Associate's degree 23.4%

Bachelor's degree 30.9%

Graduate / professional 3.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.6%
Bachelor's or higher	34.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	0	0.0%
High school	0	0.0%
College / grad school	11	100.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 52.6%

Education & healthcare 19.1%

Public administration 17.3%

Agriculture & mining 11.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	11.6%
Service	65.3%
Sales & office	13.9%
Natural resources & construction	9.2%
Production & transportation	0.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	61.8%
Government	38.2%
Self-employed	0.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	48.6%
Carpool	17.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	29.5%
Work from home	4.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.6

Poverty

All people 11.5%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 14.6%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 16.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	13.1%
Retirement income	2.1%
Supplemental Security	14.7%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.3%
High blood pressure	39.0%
High cholesterol	39.8%
Diabetes	14.6%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	8.5%
Arthritis	27.4%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	13.6%
Binge drinking	15.4%
No physical activity	24.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.7%
Depression	19.6%
Fair or poor health	17.4%
Poor mental health	12.6%
Poor physical health	11.5%
No health insurance	23.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.5%
Visited dentist	61.6%
Cholesterol screening	92.8%
Teeth loss	10.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	11	4.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.7%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	22.2%
65 and over	0.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.1%
Public insurance	30.6%
No insurance	17.4%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	268	78.8%
Spanish	19	7.1%
Other Indo-European	19	7.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	339	99.7%
Born in same state	339	99.7%
Born in different state	273	80.3%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	1	0.3%
Not a US citizen	1	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
German	9	2.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	4	1.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	56.2%
Internet access	90.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 79842

What city is ZIP code 79842 in?

ZIP code 79842 is primarily assigned to Marathon, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 79842 in?

ZIP code 79842 falls within Brewster County, Texas.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 79842?

The median home value in ZIP code 79842 is $115,300.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 79842?

The median household income in ZIP code 79842 is $43,064, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 79842?

ZIP code 79842 has an estimated population of 340 residents.

What timezone is ZIP code 79842 in?

ZIP code 79842 observes the CST timezone.