Residential delivery area · Texas
ZIP Code 78597: South Padre Island, TX
ZIP code 78597 uses the postal name South Padre Island, Texas and lies entirely in Cameron County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 2,900 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Median household income is $68,421 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, 30% of its land lies in South Padre Island; 70% is outside any Census place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- South Padre Island · its only residential ZIP
- County
- Cameron County
- Census places
- South Padre Island
- Metro area
- Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
- House district
- TX-34 119th Congress
- State
- Texas
- Time zone
- Central
- Land area
- 8.8 sq mi · 332 people per sq mi
Where is ZIP code 78597?
78597 centers on 26.273°, -97.276° and covers 8.8 square miles of land plus 124.5 of water.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 78597, open its center on OpenStreetMap.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0).
How does 78597 compare with the rest of Cameron County?
| Measure | 78597 | In Cameron County | In TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 2,935 | 14th of 17 | 1,169th of 1,990 |
| Median household income | $68k | not ranked | not ranked |
| Median home value | $527k | 1st of 12 | 91st of 1,172 |
78597's median household income is not ranked: its 90% margin of error (±$18,605) is more than a quarter of the figure ($68,421). Rankings use ZIP codes of 1,000 or more people living in households, with margins at most 25% of the figure.
It is denser than 68% of U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).
How many people live in 78597?
The 2020 Census counted 2,479 people in 78597; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 2,935. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell 14.1% (its boundary stayed at least 90% the same).
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 2,935±548 (90% margin)
- 2020 Census count
- 2,479−14.1% since 2010 (2,885)
- Households
- 1,642
- Median age
- 61.0
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).
Who lives in 78597?
Of the 2,935 people the ACS estimates in 78597, 9.4% are under 18 and 40.9% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (74.0%), then Hispanic or Latino (13.4%).
- Under 189.4%
- 18 to 6449.7%
- 65 and older40.9%
- White, not Hispanic74.0%
- Hispanic or Latino13.4%
- Black, not Hispanic7.3%
- Asian, not Hispanic3.6%
- Other or two or more1.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.
What do households in 78597 earn?
Median household income is $68,421 (ACS 2020-2024). It is not measurably different from 2015-2019 ($55,486 in 2024 dollars): the change is within the surveys' margins of error.
- Median household income
- $68,421±$18,605
- Income per person
- $76,832
- Below the poverty line
- 15.8%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 5.6%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 53.6%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $124,7951,310 returns; wages 38% of AGI (IRS)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).
What are homes worth in 78597?
FHFA's house price index for 78597, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 88% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 71% from 2020 to 2025, and moved −13.5% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $527,200
- Median gross rent
- $1,521
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 70.6%
- Housing units
- 5,603
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.
What businesses are in 78597?
334 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 31 more than in 2018; the most are in accommodation and food services (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Accommodation and food services108
- Other services (except public administration)68
- Retail trade57
- Real estate and rental and leasing40
- Professional, scientific, and technical services14
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation9
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).
Which ZIP codes are next to 78597?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78566 | Los Fresnos | 25,110 | $60k | 11.7 mi (near) |
| 78583 | Rio Hondo | 5,236 | $52k | 12.1 mi (near) |
| 78578 | Port Isabel | 10,016 | $52k | 16.0 mi (near) |
| 78598 | Port Mansfield | 245 | – | 20.6 mi (near) |
| 78526 | Brownsville | 60,012 | $71k | 22.0 mi (near) |
| 78521 | Brownsville | 87,380 | $45k | 22.9 mi (near) |
| 78575 | Olmito | 4,575 | $72k | 23.7 mi (near) |
| 78550 | Harlingen | 53,335 | $49k | 24.0 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.