79536 ZIP Code — Merkel, TX

Taylor County, Texas

ZIP code 79536 is located in Merkel, Texas, within Taylor County. It covers approximately 295.87 square miles and serves a population of 6,123 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 325.

About ZIP code 79536

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $118,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $67,788. 30% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 33 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks. 23% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 79536 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

6,123

population

295.87

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

79536 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 79536

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 79536. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Merkel	Acceptable
Merkel	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

79563 Tye (6.2 mi) 79561 Trent (7.5 mi) 79603 Abilene (7.8 mi) 79607 Dyess Afb (8.6 mi) 79605 Abilene (10.6 mi) 79606 Abilene (11.5 mi) 79697 Abilene (13.3 mi) 79525 Hawley (13.9 mi) 79698 Abilene (13.9 mi) 79508 Buffalo Gap (14.8 mi) 79699 Abilene (15.5 mi) 79537 Nolan (18.4 mi)

Demographics updated 07/2026

Population
Total population	6,123
Population density	21 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	441

Geography
Land area	295.87 sq mi
Water area	0.27 sq mi
Latitude	32.4692
Longitude	-99.9741
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	325

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 07/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	39.7%	45.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	38.1%	31.8%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	16.6%	19.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	5.5%	3.6%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

6,123

Population

People per sq mi

31.5

Median age

$67,788

Median household income

$27,154

Per capita income

$118,600

Median home value

$1,260

Median monthly rent

78.8%

Home ownership

16.0%

Poverty rate

1.8%

Unemployment

1,930

Housing units

13.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

317

Under 5

351

169

5–9

187

308

10–14

340

132

15–19

145

241

20–24

266

430

25–34

476

287

35–44

317

342

45–54

379

144

55–59

160

164

60–64

181

232

65–74

256

101

75–84

111

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,888	30.8%
18 and over	4,235	69.2%
65 and over	787	12.9%
Median age	31.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.7%

Hispanic or Latino 5.3%

Two or more races 5%

Other race 2.3%

Black or African American 1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	5,540	85.7%
Hispanic or Latino	342	5.3%
Two or more races	324	5%
Other race	150	2.3%
Black or African American	62	1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	43	0.7%
Asian	4	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	39.7%	45.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	38.1%	31.8%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	16.6%	19.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	5.5%	3.6%	7.8%

Under $10k 2.0%

$10k–$15k 4.9%

$15k–$25k 6.4%

$25k–$35k 8.4%

$35k–$50k 10.5%

$50k–$75k 24.9%

$75k–$100k 17.4%

$100k–$150k 13.1%

$150k–$200k 5.5%

$200k+ 6.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.0%
$10k–$15k	4.9%
$15k–$25k	6.4%
$25k–$35k	8.4%
$35k–$50k	10.5%
$50k–$75k	24.9%
$75k–$100k	17.4%
$100k–$150k	13.1%
$150k–$200k	5.5%
$200k+	6.9%
Median income	$67,788

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 23.7%

$50k–$100k 22.1%

$100k–$150k 12.0%

$150k–$200k 16.4%

$200k–$300k 18.5%

$300k–$500k 5.6%

$500k–$1M 0.2%

$1M+ 1.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$118,600
Median rent / month	$1,260
Owner occupied	78.8%
Renter occupied	21.2%
Vacant	17.9%
Single-family detached	65.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	29.7%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	3.12

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	8.8%
2000–2009	10.3%
1990–1999	12.2%
1980–1989	20.7%
1970–1979	11.3%
1960–1969	5.7%
1950–1959	8.7%
1940–1949	10.2%
1939 or earlier	12.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.6%
1 bedroom	4.8%
2 bedrooms	24.6%
3 bedrooms	47.5%
4 bedrooms	21.7%
5+ bedrooms	0.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.1%
1 vehicle	20.6%
2 vehicles	34.9%
3 or more	42.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	24.8%
Electricity	60.6%
Propane / LP gas	14.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,159	60.4%
Cohabiting couple	128	6.7%
Male householder, no spouse	215	11.2%
Female householder, no spouse	417	21.7%
Households with children under 18	951	49.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	549	28.6%
Average household size	3.16

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.0%	26.4%
Married	58.7%	51.6%
Separated	1.3%	3.3%
Widowed	0.7%	9.0%
Divorced	10.3%	9.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.0%

Some HS, no diploma 6.0%

HS graduate 49.4%

Some college, no degree 21.2%

Associate's degree 7.2%

Bachelor's degree 10.0%

Graduate / professional 3.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.0%
Bachelor's or higher	13.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	111	8.2%
Kindergarten	111	8.2%
Elementary school	759	56.3%
High school	275	20.4%
College / grad school	93	6.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.0%

Manufacturing 13.5%

Retail trade 11.5%

Construction 9.3%

Transportation & utilities 7.1%

Finance & real estate 7.1%

Wholesale trade 7.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.8%

Professional & management 5.6%

Other services 4.6%

Agriculture & mining 3.6%

Information 2.2%

Public administration 1.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.2%
Service	14.5%
Sales & office	21.0%
Natural resources & construction	15.6%
Production & transportation	17.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.9%
Government	7.6%
Self-employed	10.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.7%
Carpool	13.8%
Public transit	0.9%
Walk	0.7%
Work from home	6.7%
Other means	2.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	33.0

Poverty

All people 16.0%

Under 18 years 27.4%

18 and over 10.8%

Married-couple families 7.2%

Female-led households 42.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.3%
Retirement income	17.7%
Supplemental Security	4.0%
Cash public assistance	0.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.8%
High blood pressure	35.7%
High cholesterol	37.6%
Diabetes	11.7%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	9.4%
Arthritis	27.7%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	8.1%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.9%
Binge drinking	17.7%
No physical activity	27.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.5%
Depression	24.1%
Fair or poor health	18.2%
Poor mental health	16.1%
Poor physical health	12.4%
No health insurance	24.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.9%
Visited dentist	51.8%
Cholesterol screening	88.9%
Teeth loss	16.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	243	5.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.2%
Under 18	4.9%
18–64 years	10.3%
65 and over	48.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	53.5%
Public insurance	32.6%
No insurance	23.3%
Uninsured under 19	15.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,455	89.1%
Spanish	46	0.8%
Other Indo-European	31	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	15	0.3%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,998	98.0%
Born in same state	5,989	97.8%
Born in different state	5,128	83.7%
Foreign born	9	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	125	2.0%
Not a US citizen	104	83.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,310	21.4%
French	521	8.5%
Arab	422	6.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	31	0.5%
English	16	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	31.3%
Internet access	96.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 79536

What city is ZIP code 79536 in?

ZIP code 79536 is primarily assigned to Merkel, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 79536 in?

ZIP code 79536 falls within Taylor County, Texas.

Is ZIP code 79536 family-oriented?

31% of residents in ZIP code 79536 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 79536?

13% 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 poverty rate in ZIP code 79536?

16% of residents in ZIP code 79536 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 79536?

The median home value in ZIP code 79536 is $118,600.

What timezone is ZIP code 79536 in?

ZIP code 79536 observes the CST timezone.