Harlingen, TX · standard

ZIP Code 78550

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

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 15, 2026

53,152
215/sq mi: $49,007
Median income: $131,100
Median home value: 22.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Harlingen pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a low-density, mixed-tenure and unusually populous area.

13th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 20th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 215
people per sq mi: 51%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 78550 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 78550 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 247.6 square miles in Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas. The area is home to 53,152 residents, producing a population density of 215 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 78550 against Texas and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 78550 sits at $49,007 (35% below the Texas average), while per-capita income is $25,915. The poverty rate stands at 24.4% and the unemployment rate at 5.4%. On housing, the median home value is $131,100 (47% below the state average) with median rent at $900 per month, and 50.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 78550 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.6, and the average commute is 18 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Cameron County, so you can benchmark 78550 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 78550

Health care and social assistance

337
Retail trade

183
Accommodation and food services

144
Finance and insurance

124
Other services (except public administration)

119

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 78550, Harlingen, TX · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-15 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

53,152

Population

247.6

Area (sq mi)

215

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 78550?

33.6

Median Age

49.3%

Male

50.7%

Female

14.5%

Foreign-Born

White 41.8%

African American 2.1%

Asian 0.9%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%

Two or More Ethnicities 43.2%

Hispanic or Latino 82.3%

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?

$49,007

Median Household Income

-35% vs state

$25,915

Per Capita Income

24.4%

Poverty Rate

5.4%

Unemployment Rate

18.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 78550 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$49,007 13th percentile higher than 13% of 30,318 US ZIPs

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 49.1%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.0%

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

What does housing look like?

22,468

Total Housing Units

19,733

Occupied Units

2,735

Vacant Units

2.65

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 50.5%

Renter 49.5%

$131,100

Median Home Value

-47% vs state

$900

Median Rent

1985

Median Year Built

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

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+8.3%

YoY Change (2024)

233

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+133%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 78550 have increased 8.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +133% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+7.6%	152
2021	+9.7%	167
2022	+17.7%	196
2023	+9.6%	215
2024	+8.3%	233

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 1,406 business establishments in ZIP 78550, employing approximately 31,846 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,186,944,000.

1,406

Businesses

31,846

Employees

$1.2B

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Health care and social assistance	337	24.0%
Retail trade	183	13.0%
Accommodation and food services	144	10.2%
Finance and insurance	124	8.8%
Other services (except public administration)	119	8.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	108	7.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing	83	5.9%
Construction	69	4.9%
Wholesale trade	47	3.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	45	3.2%
Transportation and warehousing	36	2.6%
Manufacturing	31	2.2%
Information	27	1.9%
Educational services	20	1.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	15	1.1%
Management of companies and enterprises	9	0.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	4	0.3%
Industries not classified	3	0.2%

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 78550 vs 78535 →

78550

53,152
78552

34,111
78569

4,039
78594

1,990
78535

581

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 78550 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

78552

$69,811
78569

$58,950
78550

$49,007
78535

$39,000
78594

$23,307

What this shows By household income, ZIP 78550 ranks #3 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
78535	Combes, TX	581	4.7 mi
78552	Harlingen, TX	34,111	6.7 mi
78569	Lyford, TX	4,039	9.3 mi
78594	Sebastian, TX	1,990	10.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Cameron County

Cameron County Harlingen, TX Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 78550 in? ▼

ZIP code 78550 (Harlingen) is located in Cameron County, Texas. Cameron County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/cameron-tx.

What is the population of ZIP code 78550? ▼

ZIP code 78550 in Harlingen, TX has a population of 53,152 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 78550? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 78550 is $49,007, which is 36% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 78550? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 78550 is $131,100, which is 53% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 78550? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 78550 is Two or More Ethnicities at 43.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 82.3% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 78550? ▼

ZIP code 78550 has 1,406 business establishments employing approximately 31,846 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 78550? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 78550 are: Health care and social assistance (337), Retail trade (183), Accommodation and food services (144). There are 18 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 78550? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 78550 increased by 8.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 133%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 78550? ▼

In ZIP code 78550, 49.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.0% 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 78550? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 78550 is 18.0 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 78550? ▼

In ZIP code 78550, approximately 50.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 49.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78550? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 78550 is 24.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.