ZIP Code · TX

ZIP 79606

Part of Abilene, TX

Pop. 29,182·Taylor County·45th most expensive ZIP in Texas

Median rent (all units)

$2,154/mo

Year-over-Year

+30.9%

Month-over-Month

Stable

vs US Median

+$222

Reported rents

Stable (Monthly)

Be the first to discuss 79606 rents ↓

Most AffordableMost Expensive

ZIP 79606 · $2,154

More expensive than 68% of US ZIP codes · National median $1,932/mo

Rent check

Is your rent fair?

Compare your rent to the local median.

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,080

1 BR

$1,090

2 BR

$1,360

3 BR

$1,760

4 BR+

$2,120

Research median

$1,360/mo

Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

Loading…

Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

Cheapest month to sign

February. Asking rents in ZIP 79606 usually run 1.1% below trend in February and 0.9% above it in June, about $43 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.

Compared with the peak

Rent in ZIP 79606 is 0.3% below its high of $2,161 in July 2026, at $2,154 as of September 2026.

Past year vs. the rest of Texas

Rent in ZIP 79606 changed +30.9% over the year to September 2026. Across the 629 Texas ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.2%.

Since before the pandemic

Rent in ZIP 79606 is 111% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.

Recent direction

Rent rose in 11 of the last 12 months.

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($79,196) is $1,980 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,760); a 4-bedroom is $2,120.

Rank in Abilene

4th cheapest of 5 ZIP codes in Abilene.

Cheaper nearby

ZIP 79605, 5 miles away, rents for 22% less ($1,677/mo), about $5,700 a year in savings.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 79606. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.

Annual cost

$25,848/yr

At $2,154/mo median

Location

CityAbilene

StateTX

CountyTaylor County

Rent Market Meter

Strong Landlord's Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are up 30.9% year-over-year. Expect competition, and move quickly to lock in terms.

Based on rent-price momentum (+30.9% YoY, +0.1% MoM), not inventory.

Demographics

Who lives here

ZIP 79606 (Abilene, TX) is roughly split between renters and owners, 37.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

29,182

Median income

$79,196

Median age

34.3

Renters

47%

Age distribution

24.5%

26.7%

22.6%

16%

Under 1824.5%

18–3426.7%

35–5422.6%

55–6410.1%

65+16%

Gender

48.6%

51.4%

Male48.6%

Female51.4%

Race & ethnicity

73.3%

18.9%

White73.3%

Black6.6%

Hispanic18.9%

Asian3.9%

Education (25+)

22.3%

35.2%

37.8%

No HS diploma4.7%

HS diploma22.3%

Some college35.2%

Bachelor's+37.8%

Housing tenure

53%

47%

Owner53%

Renter47%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How ZIP 79606 in Abilene, TX has changed in 5 years

Rent

$1,122 → $2,154

up 92.0%

Income

$70,246 → $79,196

up 12.7%

Population

26,810 → 29,182

up 8.8%

Renter share

45.5% → 47%

+1.5 pts

Bachelor's+

36.4% → 37.8%

+1.4 pts

Median age

33.5 → 34.3

+0.8 yrs

Compared with 2021, rent in ZIP 79606 in Abilene, TX has climbed by $1,032 per month, settling near $2,154 after starting the period at $1,122. Median household income grew from $70,246 to $79,196 between 2021 and 2024, a 12.7% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 79.3 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 26,810 to 29,182 between 2021 and 2024, a 8.8% change. About 47% of households rent today, against 45.5% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 79606 in Abilene, TX reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.

Community

Discussions about ZIP 79606

No discussions yet. Start the conversation.

Local insights

Tips for renters in ZIP 79606

About renting in ZIP 79606

Last updated: October 17, 2026

ZIP code 79606 covers Abilene, TX. The median rent here is $2,154/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,090/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,360/mo.

At 33% of local median household income ($79,196/yr), ZIP 79606 ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 30.9% over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 79606?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $86,000/year (about $41/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $2,154/mo in ZIP 79606. The local median household income is $79,196/yr, so the typical household falls short of that bar.

Is rent going up or down in ZIP 79606?

Rent in ZIP 79606 has risen 30.9% over the past year as of September 2026. It sits 0.3% below its high of $2,161 in July 2026.

When is the cheapest time to rent in ZIP 79606?

Asking rents in ZIP 79606 are usually lowest in February, about 1.1% below their yearly trend, and highest in June, about 0.9% above it. At today's median that is a gap of roughly $43 a month. This pattern comes from 9 years of Zillow rent data.

How does ZIP 79606 compare to other ZIPs in Texas?

ZIP 79606 is one of the pricier among Texas ZIP codes for rent, ranking #45 of 693 at $2,154/mo. Over the year to September 2026, rent in ZIP 79606 changed +30.9%, against a typical +1.2% across the 629 Texas ZIP codes Zillow tracks.