79556 ZIP Code — Sweetwater, TX

Nolan County, Texas

ZIP code 79556 is located in Sweetwater, Texas, within Nolan County. It covers approximately 378.37 square miles and serves a population of 12,621 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 325.

About ZIP code 79556

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 $92,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 63%.

The gap between median ($47,221) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. SNAP benefit usage at 20% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 36% 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 16 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 (21%) compared to national benchmarks. 16% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 79556 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

12,621

population

378.37

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

79556 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 79556

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 79556. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sweetwater	Acceptable
Sweetwater	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

79545 Roscoe (10.3 mi) 79537 Nolan (12.2 mi) 79561 Trent (13.8 mi) 79543 Roby (18.1 mi) 79560 Sylvester (18.7 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	12,621
Population density	33 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	353

Geography
Land area	378.37 sq mi
Water area	2.06 sq mi
Latitude	32.4544
Longitude	-100.3346
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	325

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.3%	56.8%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	25.0%	26.4%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	14.2%	22.6%
Over $200k	2.5%	2.6%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

12,621

Population

People per sq mi

36.6

Median age

$47,221

Median household income

$30,592

Per capita income

$92,500

Median home value

$803

Median monthly rent

63.2%

Home ownership

16.0%

Poverty rate

6.7%

Unemployment

4,319

Housing units

12.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

490

Under 5

476

365

5–9

355

542

10–14

527

498

15–19

484

359

20–24

349

728

25–34

708

694

35–44

675

679

45–54

660

425

55–59

414

362

60–64

351

783

65–74

761

267

75–84

259

208

85+

202

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,337	26.4%
18 and over	9,284	73.6%
65 and over	2,480	19.6%
Median age	36.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 62.4%

Hispanic or Latino 14.9%

Two or more races 10.4%

Other race 6.8%

Black or African American 4.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	9,251	62.4%
Hispanic or Latino	2,212	14.9%
Two or more races	1,543	10.4%
Other race	1,014	6.8%
Black or African American	690	4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	96	0.6%
Asian	27	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.3%	56.8%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	25.0%	26.4%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	14.2%	22.6%
Over $200k	2.5%	2.6%	7.8%

Under $10k 8.5%

$10k–$15k 5.1%

$15k–$25k 12.9%

$25k–$35k 6.6%

$35k–$50k 20.4%

$50k–$75k 16.3%

$75k–$100k 10.9%

$100k–$150k 10.4%

$150k–$200k 4.1%

$200k+ 4.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.5%
$10k–$15k	5.1%
$15k–$25k	12.9%
$25k–$35k	6.6%
$35k–$50k	20.4%
$50k–$75k	16.3%
$75k–$100k	10.9%
$100k–$150k	10.4%
$150k–$200k	4.1%
$200k+	4.8%
Median income	$47,221

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 26.2%

$50k–$100k 29.8%

$100k–$150k 14.2%

$150k–$200k 11.1%

$200k–$300k 11.5%

$300k–$500k 4.8%

$500k–$1M 2.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$92,500
Median rent / month	$803
Owner occupied	63.2%
Renter occupied	36.8%
Vacant	20.4%
Single-family detached	76.2%
Large apartment buildings	3.2%
Mobile homes	6.2%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.54

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	2.7%
2000–2009	2.4%
1990–1999	4.1%
1980–1989	13.5%
1970–1979	18.3%
1960–1969	16.3%
1950–1959	22.3%
1940–1949	10.6%
1939 or earlier	9.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.0%
1 bedroom	10.9%
2 bedrooms	34.9%
3 bedrooms	41.9%
4 bedrooms	7.3%
5+ bedrooms	2.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.8%
1 vehicle	41.9%
2 vehicles	31.3%
3 or more	19.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	41.0%
Electricity	53.9%
Propane / LP gas	3.9%
Wood	0.6%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,074	42.6%
Cohabiting couple	263	5.4%
Male householder, no spouse	1,039	21.4%
Female householder, no spouse	1,487	30.6%
Households with children under 18	1,560	32.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,709	35.1%
Average household size	2.53

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	34.1%	20.3%
Married	44.2%	45.2%
Separated	1.9%	5.8%
Widowed	5.3%	14.8%
Divorced	14.4%	14.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.8%

Some HS, no diploma 9.8%

HS graduate 34.6%

Some college, no degree 25.7%

Associate's degree 10.2%

Bachelor's degree 8.3%

Graduate / professional 4.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.4%
Bachelor's or higher	12.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	186	6.3%
Kindergarten	147	5.0%
Elementary school	1,406	47.8%
High school	854	29.0%
College / grad school	348	11.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.2%

Retail trade 12.8%

Transportation & utilities 11.3%

Manufacturing 11.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.5%

Other services 6.0%

Agriculture & mining 5.7%

Construction 5.5%

Professional & management 5.4%

Public administration 5.2%

Finance & real estate 2.7%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.3%
Service	23.3%
Sales & office	18.6%
Natural resources & construction	13.5%
Production & transportation	19.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.8%
Government	16.2%
Self-employed	5.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.4%
Carpool	12.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	3.1%
Other means	2.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.4

Poverty

All people 16.0%

Under 18 years 13.5%

18 and over 17.0%

Married-couple families 3.1%

Female-led households 34.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.6%
Retirement income	18.5%
Supplemental Security	9.1%
Cash public assistance	6.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	20.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.2%
High blood pressure	38.5%
High cholesterol	37.0%
Diabetes	14.7%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	26.0%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	8.9%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.9%
Binge drinking	17.0%
No physical activity	31.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.9%
Depression	22.9%
Fair or poor health	22.7%
Poor mental health	16.3%
Poor physical health	14.2%
No health insurance	31.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.5%
Visited dentist	49.5%
Cholesterol screening	87.7%
Teeth loss	19.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	619	6.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.7%
Under 18	9.1%
18–64 years	18.1%
65 and over	38.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	56.0%
Public insurance	38.9%
No insurance	16.2%
Uninsured under 19	11.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	11,655	92.3%
Spanish	670	5.7%
Other Indo-European	629	5.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	29	0.2%
Other languages	12	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	12,044	95.4%
Born in same state	11,979	94.9%
Born in different state	10,007	79.3%
Foreign born	65	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	577	4.6%
Not a US citizen	265	45.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,173	9.3%
Arab	1,013	8%
Italian	814	6.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	25	0.2%
German	24	0.2%
English	21	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.5%
Internet access	89.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 79556

What city is ZIP code 79556 in?

ZIP code 79556 is primarily assigned to Sweetwater, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 79556 in?

ZIP code 79556 falls within Nolan County, Texas.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 79556?

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 79556?

16% of residents in ZIP code 79556 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 79556 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 79556 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 79556?

The median home value in ZIP code 79556 is $92,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 79556 in?

ZIP code 79556 observes the CST timezone.