Penitas, TX · standard
ZIP Code 78576
Hidalgo County, Texas — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 8,775
- 88/sq mi
- $49,137
- Median income
- $131,400
- Median home value
- 7.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Penitas pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 13th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 20th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 88
- people per sq mi
- 85%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 78576 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 78576 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 99.6 square miles in Penitas, Hidalgo County, Texas. The area is home to 8,775 residents, producing a population density of 88 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 78576 against Texas and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 78576 sits at $49,137 (35% below the Texas average), while per-capita income is $15,968. The poverty rate stands at 36.6% and the unemployment rate at 5.5%. On housing, the median home value is $131,400 (47% below the state average) with median rent at $697 per month, and 84.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 78576 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 7.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 22.4, and the average commute is —. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Hidalgo County, so you can benchmark 78576 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 78576
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 78576.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
16 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
15 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
12 establishments
- Construction
Construction
9 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
8 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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 78576, Penitas, TX · 2023 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
8,775
Population
99.6
Area (sq mi)
88
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 78576?
22.4
Median Age
48.4%
Male
51.6%
Female
31.0%
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?
$49,137
Median Household Income
-35% vs state
$15,968
Per Capita Income
36.6%
Poverty Rate
5.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 78576 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$49,137 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
3,947
Total Housing Units
3,637
Occupied Units
310
Vacant Units
4.26
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$131,400
Median Home Value
-47% vs state
$697
Median Rent
2003
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 82 business establishments in ZIP 78576, employing approximately 1,164 people with a combined annual payroll of $33,522,000.
82
Businesses
1,164
Employees
$33.5M
Annual Payroll
9
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 16 | 19.5% |
| Retail trade | 15 | 18.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 12 | 14.6% |
| Construction | 9 | 11.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 8 | 9.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7 | 8.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 5 | 6.1% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 3.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 3.7% |
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 78576 vs 78560 →
ZIP 78576 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 78572
Mission (78572)
75,221 residents
- 78574
Mission (78574)
57,071 residents
- 78576 8,775
Penitas (78576)
8,775 residents
- 78595 6,082
Sullivan City (78595)
6,082 residents
- 78560 4,368
La Joya (78560)
4,368 residents
- 78565 402
Los Ebanos (78565)
402 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 78576 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 78576 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 78595
Sullivan City (78595)
$58,846 median income
- 78560
La Joya (78560)
$55,721 median income
- 78572
Mission (78572)
$54,298 median income
- 78574
Mission (78574)
$52,393 median income
- 78576
Penitas (78576)
$49,137 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 78576 ranks #5 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Hidalgo County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 78576 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 78576? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 78576? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 78576? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 78576? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 78576? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 78576? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 78576? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 78576? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78576? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Penitas, TX
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.