Port Isabel, TX · standard

ZIP Code 78578

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

12,516
81/sq mi: $51,880
Median income: $196,200
Median home value: 28.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Port Isabel pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

17th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 42th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 81
people per sq mi: 75%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 78578 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 78578 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 155.1 square miles in Port Isabel, Cameron County, Texas. The area is home to 12,516 residents, producing a population density of 81 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 78578 against Texas and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 78578 sits at $51,880 (31% below the Texas average), while per-capita income is $37,249. The poverty rate stands at 27.0% and the unemployment rate at 3.6%. On housing, the median home value is $196,200 (21% below the state average) with median rent at $749 per month, and 74.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 78578 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 28.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 49, and the average commute is 17 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Cameron County, so you can benchmark 78578 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 78578

Accommodation and food services

40
Retail trade

32
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

22
Other services (except public administration)

16
Health care and social assistance

15

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 78578, Port Isabel, 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

12,516

Population

155.1

Area (sq mi)

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 78578?

49.0

Median Age

47.0%

Male

53.0%

Female

22.4%

Foreign-Born

White 61.5%

African American 0.0%

Asian 0.5%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 32.2%

Hispanic or Latino 57.3%

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?

$51,880

Median Household Income

-31% vs state

$37,249

Per Capita Income

27.0%

Poverty Rate

3.6%

Unemployment Rate

17.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 78578 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$51,880 17th percentile higher than 17% 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 56.8%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 28.6%

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

What does housing look like?

6,480

Total Housing Units

4,379

Occupied Units

2,101

Vacant Units

2.29

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 74.6%

Renter 25.4%

$196,200

Median Home Value

-21% vs state

$749

Median Rent

1991

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

+8.8%

YoY Change (2024)

290

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+190%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 78578 have increased 8.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +190% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+7.0%	173
2021	+19.0%	206
2022	+10.4%	228
2023	+16.8%	266
2024	+8.8%	290

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 211 business establishments in ZIP 78578, employing approximately 1,997 people with a combined annual payroll of $64,089,000.

211

Businesses

1,997

Employees

$64.1M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Accommodation and food services	40	19.0%
Retail trade	32	15.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	22	10.4%
Other services (except public administration)	16	7.6%
Health care and social assistance	15	7.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	13	6.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing	12	5.7%
Construction	11	5.2%
Finance and insurance	11	5.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	9	4.3%
Wholesale trade	7	3.3%
Transportation and warehousing	6	2.8%
Information	6	2.8%
Manufacturing	3	1.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	3	1.4%

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 78578 vs 78521 →

78521

93,818
78526

42,460
78566

16,230
78578

12,516

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 78578 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

78526

$70,565
78566

$60,187
78578

$51,880
78521

$44,509

What this shows By household income, ZIP 78578 ranks #3 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
78521	Brownsville, TX	93,818	7.1 mi
78566	Los Fresnos, TX	16,230	8.3 mi
78526	Brownsville, TX	42,460	8.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Cameron County

Cameron County Port Isabel, TX Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 78578 in? ▼

ZIP code 78578 (Port Isabel) 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 78578? ▼

ZIP code 78578 in Port Isabel, TX has a population of 12,516 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 78578? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 78578 is $51,880, which is 32% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 78578? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 78578 is $196,200, which is 29% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 78578? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 78578 is White at 61.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 57.3% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 78578? ▼

ZIP code 78578 has 211 business establishments employing approximately 1,997 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 78578? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 78578 are: Accommodation and food services (40), Retail trade (32), Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (22). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 78578? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 78578 increased by 8.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 190%. 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 78578? ▼

In ZIP code 78578, 56.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 28.6% 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 78578? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 78578 is 17.3 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 78578? ▼

In ZIP code 78578, approximately 74.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 25.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78578? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 78578 is 27.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.