Population & age
- Total population
- 173
- Median age
- 59.4
Novice, TX (79538)
Coleman County · Population 173
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Novice, TX (ZIP 79538) sits in Coleman County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 45.6%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 1 college or university serves the area, with median in-state tuition of $3,300. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $69,609, well above the ~$45K national average per return. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $45,041 per worker, roughly 31% below the US average. The most recent FEMA disaster declaration here was flood-related (SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING, 2024). County Health Rankings reports 13,602 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. 27.3% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. Texas has no state income tax, saving the local median household (AGI $69,609) approximately $3,202/year vs the US average effective state tax rate. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 147 residents (58 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,030 for a two-bedroom, a 36.3% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average), and a median home value of $331,600. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 89.0%
- Black
- 0.0%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 9.8%
- Other / multi-racial
- 1.2%
Income & housing
- Median home value
- $331,600
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 19.0%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 0.0%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 58(93.5%)
- Renter-occupied
- 4(6.5%)
- Vacant units
- 45
- Built (median)
- 1992
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 6(7.6%)
- Avg commute
- 42.2 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 62(36.3%)
- Uninsured
- 0(0.0%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 50(80.6%)
- No broadband
- 12(19.4%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 0(0.0%)
- Non-English at home
- 17(10.3%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$780
/month
1 Bed
$780
/month
2 Bed
$1,030
/month
3 Bed
$1,250
/month
4 Bed
$1,520
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
7
Across 7 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $1.9M.
Single-family
7
100% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
0
0% of total units
Single-family value
$1.9M
construction value
Multifamily value
$0
construction value
Aggregated from 2 counties touching this ZIP (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Income & tax statistics
Tax returns filed
110
Average AGI
$69,609
Avg property tax
—
EITC participation
27.3%
Income distribution
- $1 – $25,00036.4% · 40
- $25,000 – $50,00036.4% · 40
- $50,000 – $75,0000.0% · 0
- $75,000 – $100,00027.3% · 30
- $100,000 – $200,0000.0% · 0
- $200,000 or more0.0% · 0
Avg mortgage interest
—
Avg charitable contribution
—
Avg capital gains
$291
Avg total income tax
—
Source: IRS Statistics of Income — Individual Income Tax Statistics by ZIP Code (irs.gov). Public domain. Dollar columns reported in thousands by the IRS; figures here display real dollars. Total ZCTA AGI for the area was $7.7M across all reported brackets.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$45,041
Average weekly wage
$866
Total employment
2,172
Total establishments
258
That is roughly 31% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
3.7%
That is 0.3 percentage points below the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
3,611
Employed
3,477
Unemployed
134
Based on Coleman County, TX data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
18
Date Range
1991–2024
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING
Flood — declared May 17, 2024 (DR-4781)
Incident period: April 26, 2024 – June 5, 2024
Top Incident Types
- Flood4 (22%)
- Fire4 (22%)
- Hurricane3 (17%)
- Severe Ice Storm2 (11%)
- Biological2 (11%)
- Other3 (17%)
Individual Assistance
2
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
1
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
17
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
10
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
64.4°F
51.1° – 77.6°
Annual precipitation
27.2"
Annual snowfall
0.1"
Heating · cooling days
2,505.4 · 2,307.8
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: HORDS CREEK DAM, TX US, 12.3 miles from the centroid of Novice, TX (ZIP 79538)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
13,602
That is roughly 5,402 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
21%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.5
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.9
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
21.6%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
52
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
4,543
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
6.2
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
66%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
26%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 9.9% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Coleman data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Significant food access concerns
27.3% of Coleman County, TX residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
—
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.67
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.62
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 10.2% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Coleman County, TX for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 2 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 16 reports
Homicide
0
Robbery
0
Burglary
11
Vehicle theft
0
County-level data for Runnels (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+147 people
+58 households • +$3.1M net AGI flow
Moved in
243households
475 people • $13.0M AGI
Moved out
185households
328 people • $9.9M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Brown County, TX — 31 households
- Taylor County, TX — 23 households
Where departing residents went
- Brown County, TX — 37 households
- Taylor County, TX — 30 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $53,601 versus departing households' $53,530.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in Texas
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 79538. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
None
No state income tax
Sales tax (combined)
8.20%
State 6.25% · avg local 1.95%
Property tax (effective)
1.42%
Median $1,254/year
Tax burden rank
4 of 50
8.40% of personal income
For ZIP 79538: A household at this ZIP's median AGI of $69,609 keeps approximately $3,202 more annually than residents of the typical income-tax state. Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $331,600, that works out to roughly $4,720/year in property tax.
Paid family leave
Program
Voluntary (private insurance framework)
Voluntary (private insurance framework)
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
165% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). Asset limit $5,000.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 79538
Nearby ZIPs by distance
79519 (4.7 mi) · 79530 (Lawn, 9.9 mi) · 76882 (Valera, 12.2 mi) · 79541 (13.4 mi) · 76834 (Coleman, 14.6 mi) · 79567 (Winters, 16.1 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
36.0%
3.0pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
45.6%
13.6pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
22.5%
Tracks close to the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
79.8%
3.8pp above the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
10.8%
2.2pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
16.2%
5.2pp above the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
1
Median in-state tuition
$3,300
Median earnings (10 yr)
$42,508
- 2-Year
Western Texas College
Snyder, TX · 79549
- In-state tuition
- $3,300
- Out-of-state tuition
- $6,150
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 56.3%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $42,508
- Median student debt
- $7,515
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Novice, TX (ZIP 79538) sits in Coleman County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 45.6%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 1 college or university serves the area, with median in-state tuition of $3,300. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $69,609, well above the ~$45K national average per return. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $45,041 per worker, roughly 31% below the US average. The most recent FEMA disaster declaration here was flood-related (SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING, 2024). County Health Rankings reports 13,602 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. 27.3% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. Texas has no state income tax, saving the local median household (AGI $69,609) approximately $3,202/year vs the US average effective state tax rate. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 147 residents (58 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,030 for a two-bedroom, a 36.3% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average), and a median home value of $331,600. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits near the national rate at 22.5%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 79538
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 79538?
36.0%, which is 3.0 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 79538?
22.5%, which is 0.5 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 79538?
45.6%, which is 13.6 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 79538?
173 people live in ZIP 79538, with a median age of 59.4 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 79538 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 79538, 93.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 6.5% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 79538?
In ZIP 79538, 7.6% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 79538?
36.3% of the population in ZIP 79538 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 79538 have broadband internet?
80.6% of households in ZIP 79538 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the average household income in ZIP 79538?
The average Adjusted Gross Income reported on tax returns from ZIP 79538 (Novice, TX) is $69,609 per return (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How much do homeowners pay in property tax in ZIP 79538?
Tax returns from ZIP 79538 report an average of $0 per return in real-estate tax deductions (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What percentage of residents in ZIP 79538 earn over $200,000?
0.0% of tax returns from ZIP 79538 (Novice, TX) report Adjusted Gross Income of $200,000 or more (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 79538 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 79538 ranks in the 34th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a moderate vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 79538?
Household Characteristics is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 79538, ranking in the 59th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 79538 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 18 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 79538 between 1991–2024 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 79538?
Flood is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 79538, accounting for 4 of 18 declarations (22%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 79538?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 79538 was "SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING" — a flood declared in 2024 (DR-4781) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 79538?
1 college or university is listed near ZIP 79538 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Western Texas College (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 79538?
Median in-state tuition across 1 nearby institution is $3,300 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 79538?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $42,508 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 79538?
ZIP 79538 has an average annual temperature of 64.4°F and 27.2" of annual precipitation based on the HORDS CREEK DAM, TX US weather station 12.3 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 79538?
Texas has no state income tax. For a household earning the local median AGI of $69,609, this saves approximately $3,202 per year compared to the national average effective state tax rate. The combined state and local sales tax rate is 8.20% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does Texas have paid family leave?
Texas runs an active paid family leave program offering up to — weeks of paid leave per year (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 79538?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (33 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (1 institution), income & tax statistics from the IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (18 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Income & tax statistics retrieved May 2, 2026 from IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (18 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 79538
Nearby ZIPs by distance
79519 (4.7 mi) · 79530 (Lawn, 9.9 mi) · 76882 (Valera, 12.2 mi) · 79541 (13.4 mi) · 76834 (Coleman, 14.6 mi) · 79567 (Winters, 16.1 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 79538?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
34th percentile
Moderate Vulnerability
Based on 2 census tracts, population 126
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
1
Limited English Speakers
4
Persons with Disability
30
Without HS Diploma
11
Without Health Insurance
16
Adults Age 65+
50
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.