Census-designated place · Texas
Sparks, Texas
Sparks, census-designated place, in El Paso County, Texas. Sparks had 4,760 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,134 (±1,200). GEOID 4869432.
Residents, 2020 Census
4,760
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 4,134 ±1,200
Median household income
$34,876
±$23,151 (90% margin)
Texas: $78,476
Median home value
$103,800
±$11,224 (90% margin)
Texas: $283,800
Median gross rent
$1,080
±$194 (90% margin)
Texas: $1,403
Where is Sparks and what county is it in?
Sparks is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in El Paso County, Texas. It covers 1.4 square miles of land, 3,400 residents per square mile in 2020.
Sparks is in the El Paso, TX metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Sparks, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 4,760 residents in Sparks, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 4,134 (±1,200).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Sparks is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Sparks | El Paso County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,134 ±1,200 | 870,779 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,113 ±281 | 299,637 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.71 ±0.62 | 2.86 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,194 ±290 | 323,571 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Sparks?
The median resident of Sparks is 30.9 years old; 34.0% are under 18 and 6.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 97.8%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 2.2%. 36.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Sparks | El Paso County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.9 ±8.9 | 33.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 34.0% ±5.6 pts | 26.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 6.3% ±2.9 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Male | 55.8% ±7.3 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 97.8% ±2.6 pts | 82.7% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 2.2% ±2.6 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 1.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 36.7% ±8.0 pts | 23.1% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 88.6% ±10.9 pts | 68.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.3% ±2.9 pts | 7.6% | – |
| With a disability | 10.6% ±5.6 pts | 13.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 35.7% ±11.3 pts | 21.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 64.7% ±11.7 pts | 81.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 4.5% ±3.9 pts | 25.9% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.9% ±1.3 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.3% ±3.6 pts | 88.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 2.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Sparks earn?
Sparks's median household income is published as $34,876 with a margin of ±$23,151, too wide to rely on.
| Measure | Sparks | El Paso County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,876 ±$23,151 | $59,806 | – |
| Mean household income | $50,982 ±$14,676 | $79,845 | – |
| Per capita income | $14,522 ±$3,487 | $28,486 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 51.7% ±14.3 pts | 18.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 75.7% ±15.5 pts | 24.6% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 24.9% ±13.1 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±4.4 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.2% ±6.3 pts | 89.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Sparks?
Owners occupy 65.8% of Sparks's occupied homes and renters 34.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $103,800 by its owner (±$11,224). The median renter pays $1,080 a month including utilities, and 84.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Sparks | El Paso County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $103,800 ±$11,224 | $180,400 | +$27,866 |
| Median gross rent | $1,080 ±$194 | $1,079 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 84.3% ±24.2 pts | 44.2% | no clear change |
| Owner-occupied homes | 65.8% ±16.9 pts | 64.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 34.2% ±16.9 pts | 35.8% | – |
| Housing units | 1,194 ±290 | 323,571 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.1% ±16.5 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 55.0% ±14.6 pts | 67.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 29.5% ±12.1 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.5% ±8.6 pts | 16.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 14.6% ±11.7 pts | 6.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Sparks work and get to work?
91.4% of Sparks's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.6 minutes.
| Measure | Sparks | El Paso County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.5% ±8.1 pts | 62.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.6% ±7.8 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 91.4% ±7.1 pts | 75.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.5% ±4.1 pts | 12.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±3.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±3.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.1% ±3.1 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.6 min ±4.5 | 24.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Sparks?
1 census tract lies mostly in Sparks (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 103.62El Paso County | 9,563 | $74,237 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Sparks) · Census block assignment files
How does Sparks compare with other places in Texas?
Sparks is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 483rd | 979 |
| Residents per square mile | 66th | 979 |
| Per capita income | 958th | 978 |
| Median home value | 797th | 950 |
| Median gross rent | 455th | 852 |
| Poverty rate | 7th | 716 |
| Median age | 844th | 973 |
| Owner-occupied share | 633rd | 973 |
| Travel time to work | 757th | 976 |
Sparks's figures with every place in Texas (CSV)
Every place in Texas, sortable · Compare Sparks with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Sparks?
23 of the 56 figures for Sparks on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Sparks are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.