Smiley, TX · standard
ZIP Code 78159
Gonzales County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,023
- 3/sq mi Low-density area
- $35,083
- Median income Below-median income area
- $132,600
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 7.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Smiley pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 3rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 20th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 3
- people per sq mi
- 69%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 78159 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 78159 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Smiley, Gonzales County, Texas, home to just 1,023 residents across 409.2 square miles, a density of 3 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 78159 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $35,083 (54% below the average Texas ZIP), while per-capita income is $21,052. The poverty rate is 22.0%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $132,600 (46% below the average Texas ZIP), and median rent is $921; owner occupancy is 68.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 7.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.6, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Gonzales County, so 78159 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 78159
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Smiley, TX
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 78159.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
4 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
3 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
3 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
3 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 78159, Smiley, TX · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
1,023
Population
409.2
Area (sq mi)
3
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 78159?
41.6
Median Age
53.3%
Male
46.7%
Female
5.1%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$35,083
Median Household Income
-54% vs state ZIP avg
$21,052
Per Capita Income
22.0%
Poverty Rate
7.9%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 78159 ranks among Texas ZIPs
Smiley, TX household income vs. every Texas ZIP code
Median household income among 1,737 reporting Texas ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$35,083 2nd percentile higher than 2% of 1,737 Texas ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Texas ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
303housing units
303
Total Housing Units
257
Occupied Units
46
Vacant Units
2.42
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$132,600
Median Home Value
-46% vs state ZIP avg
$921
Median Rent
1976
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 78159, employing approximately 90 people with a combined annual payroll of $4,190,000.
20
Businesses
90
Employees
$4.2M
Annual Payroll
4
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 4 | 20.0% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 15.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 15.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3 | 15.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 78159 vs 78677 →
ZIP 78159 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 78159
Smiley (78159)
1,023 residents
- 77994 321
Westhoff (77994)
321 residents
- 78677 92
Wrightsboro (78677)
92 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 78159 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 78159, both outside TX so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,023 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Gonzales County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 78159 in?
ZIP code 78159 (Smiley) is located in Gonzales County, Texas. Gonzales County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/gonzales-tx.
What is the population of ZIP code 78159?
ZIP code 78159 in Smiley, TX has a population of 1,023 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 78159?
The median household income in ZIP 78159 is $35,083, which is 54% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 78159?
The median home value in ZIP 78159 is $132,600, which is 52% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 78159?
The largest racial group in ZIP 78159 is White at 58.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 60.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 78159?
ZIP code 78159 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 90 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 78159?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 78159 are: Health care and social assistance (4), Retail trade (3), Transportation and warehousing (3). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 78159?
In ZIP code 78159, 69.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 7.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 78159?
In ZIP code 78159, approximately 68.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 31.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78159?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 78159 is 22.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 78159's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 78159 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Smiley, TX ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.