Merkel is a town in Taylor County, Texas, home to about 2,699 people across 2.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 79536.
Homes sold for a median of $157 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Merkel. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Merkel’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)175 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Abilene Regional Airport (ABI)18 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lubbock, TX134 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Dallas, TX189 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Merkel; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Merkel had 2,471 residents in the 2020 census, down 6% since 2000.
It’s the 620th largest of 1,778 towns in Texas by population.
Taylor County grew from 10,499 residents in 1900 to 143,208 in 2020.
Taylor County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 94°F in summer, and winter lows average 31°F. About 26.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Merkel 12 Sw, TX weather station (11 miles away).
61,016 jobs at 3,658 businesses in Taylor County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
12 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Merkel.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 7 |
|---|---|
| Mental health providers | 4 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Merkel ISD. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merkel ElMerkel | Pre-K–5 | 563 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| Merkel MiddleMerkel | 6–8 | 246 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Merkel H SMerkel | 9–12 | 281 | Public | 2.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Tye.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.