PlainZIP

Edcouch, TX · standard

ZIP Code 78538

Hidalgo County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

10,657
58/sq mi
$40,399
Median income
$92,100
Median home value
12.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Edcouch pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

6th pct
household income, US ZIPs
7th pct
home value, US ZIPs
58
people per sq mi
73%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 78538 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 78538 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Edcouch, Hidalgo County, Texas, home to 10,657 residents across 184.1 square miles, a density of 58 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 78538 reports a modest median household income of $40,399 (47% below the Texas average), while per-capita income is $17,362. The poverty rate stands at 37.3% and the unemployment rate at 8.7%. Housing costs here run $92,100 for a typical home value (63% below the state average), with rent averaging $556 a month; 72.9% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 32.6, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Hidalgo County, so you can benchmark 78538 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

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 78538

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Edcouch, TX

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 78538.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 78538, Edcouch, 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

10,657

Population

184.1

Area (sq mi)

58

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 78538?

32.6

Median Age

49.9%

Male

50.1%

Female

25.5%

Foreign-Born

White 15.8%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 67.9%
Hispanic or Latino 97.6%

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?

$40,399

Median Household Income

-47% vs state

$17,362

Per Capita Income

37.3%

Poverty Rate

8.7%

Unemployment Rate

23.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 78538 ranks nationally

Edcouch, TX household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$40,399 6th percentile higher than 6% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 47.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 12.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

3,934

Total Housing Units

3,556

Occupied Units

378

Vacant Units

3.37

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 72.9%
Renter 27.1%

$92,100

Median Home Value

-63% vs state

$556

Median Rent

2000

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 59 business establishments in ZIP 78538, employing approximately 525 people with a combined annual payroll of $18,554,000.

59

Businesses

525

Employees

$18.6M

Annual Payroll

7

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 14 23.7%
Construction 10 16.9%
Transportation and warehousing 7 11.9%
Other services (except public administration) 7 11.9%
Retail trade 6 10.2%
Accommodation and food services 4 6.8%
Wholesale trade 3 5.1%

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 78538 vs 78543 →

ZIP 78538 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 78538 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 78538 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 78538 ranks #5 of 7 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
78543 Elsa, TX 8,447 5.4 mi
78558 La Blanca, TX 882 6.2 mi
78549 Hargill, TX 990 7.0 mi
78562 La Villa, TX 2,868 7.4 mi
78561 Lasara, TX 779 8.2 mi
78542 Edinburg, TX 63,293 8.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Hidalgo County

78572 standard
Mission, TX
Pop: 75,221
78577 standard
Pharr, TX
Pop: 70,840
78596 standard
Weslaco, TX
Pop: 63,844
78542 standard
Edinburg, TX
Pop: 63,293
78501 standard
Mcallen, TX
Pop: 61,219
78574 standard
Mission, TX
Pop: 57,071

Related Areas

Hidalgo County Edcouch, TX Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 78538 in? ▼
ZIP code 78538 (Edcouch) is located in Hidalgo County, Texas. Hidalgo County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/hidalgo-tx.
What is the population of ZIP code 78538? ▼
ZIP code 78538 in Edcouch, TX has a population of 10,657 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 78538? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 78538 is $40,399, which is 47% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 78538? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 78538 is $92,100, which is 67% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 78538? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 78538 is Two or More Ethnicities at 67.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 97.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 78538? ▼
ZIP code 78538 has 59 business establishments employing approximately 525 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 78538? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 78538 are: Health care and social assistance (14), Construction (10), Transportation and warehousing (7). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 78538? ▼
In ZIP code 78538, 47.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 78538? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 78538 is 23.2 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 78538? ▼
In ZIP code 78538, approximately 72.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78538? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 78538 is 37.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.