The story of this market
The typical home in ZIP 79851 sells for about $299,000, or $169 per square foot.
Prices are down 8.6% from a year ago, which gives buyers more room to negotiate. Homes take about 177 days to sell, which is slow. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $950 a month.
This ZIP has no home sales of its own, so its market figures come from Hudspeth County, Texas (county-level). Population, rents, hazards, lending and amenities are this ZIP's own readings.
ZIP 79851 — Sierra Blanca
The housing market in ZIP 79851 is characterized by low volume and stable, affordable pricing. Activity is driven by local demand rather than speculative investment, resulting in a slow-paced market with minimal inventory turnover.
This area is best suited for those seeking a quiet, rural lifestyle, retirees, or individuals working in regional transit and agriculture.
Median prices moved down 8.6% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 177 days on market with 3.0 months of supply — a balanced-paced market.
17% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 94.2% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 6.0% · poverty 18.0% — a mixed stability profile.
Researched annual trajectory for this ZIP, from published historical series
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 3.7%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
Median annual property tax paid on this ZIP's residential parcels
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 3.2%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
versus the prior ACS vintage
ZCTA 79851
Crime rates in the Van Horn area are generally low and consistent with rural West Texas, though specific localized trends are not determinable.
Schools in the area are primarily served by the Culberson County Independent School District, which provides education for the rural population.
The region faces risks associated with extreme heat and occasional flash flooding, typical of the high desert environment.
Economic momentum is driven by regional transit, tourism, and local agricultural activity, with limited large-scale industrial development.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. State (Texas) — Senior (65+) and Disabled Homestead Exemption and School Tax Ceiling: Grants an additional mandatory $10,000 exemption from ISD appraised value (Taxable Value_ISD = Appraised Value - $100,000 - $10,000) and establishes an absolute statutory tax freeze (school tax ceiling): total ISD property taxes cannot exceed the dollar ceiling established in the… State (Texas) — General Residence Homestead Exemption and 10% Valuation Growth Cap: Imposes mandatory state-level valuation deductions and growth limitations on the qualifying homestead: (1) Mandates a $100,000 deduction from appraised value for independent school district (ISD) maintenance and operations/debt taxation: Taxable Value_ISD = Appraised Value - $100… State (Texas) — Ad Valorem Real Property Taxation and Assessment Ratio: Mandates ad valorem appraisal of all real property at 100% of fair market value as of January 1 each tax year (Assessment Ratio = 1.00).
Commuting is primarily by personal vehicle along the I-10 corridor, which serves as the main artery for regional travel.
Recreation is centered on outdoor activities, including proximity to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park and local desert landscapes.
The rental market is limited in depth, primarily serving local workers and transient populations with low vacancy pressure.
The economy is heavily reliant on transportation, tourism, and government services, with limited private-sector industrial anchors.
The area is served by Interstate 10, providing critical connectivity between El Paso and San Antonio.
There are no major large-scale residential or commercial developments currently reported for this ZIP code.
The Culberson County Appraisal District manages property assessments for the area.
Parcels are subject to Culberson County and local school district tax levies.
Property insurance premiums are influenced by regional wildfire and wind risk factors common to West Texas.
Net domestic migration is stable with low turnover.
Texas follows a non-judicial foreclosure process.
Sellers are required to provide a standard property disclosure notice regarding the condition of the home.
Data retrieved from data.census.gov for ZCTA 79851.
Public schools whose reported address is in this area (NCES). Not attendance boundaries — schools that serve residents may sit outside it. Check the district's address locator for assignment.
Major regional landmark offering hiking and outdoor recreation.
Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass. Coherence hold-out: this pass's median price ($16,630) sat outside the 0.25–4× band around Hudspeth County's retained level and was not stored.