PlainZIP

Dale, TX · standard

ZIP Code 78616

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

7,092
25/sq mi
$64,715
Median income
$211,500
Median home value
11.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Dale pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

38th pct
household income, US ZIPs
47th pct
home value, US ZIPs
25
people per sq mi
80%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 78616 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 78616 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Dale, Caldwell County, Texas, home to 7,092 residents across 284.8 square miles, a density of 25 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 78616 reports a modest median household income of $64,715 (14% below the Texas average), while per-capita income is $28,448. Poverty here runs at 11.7%, with unemployment measured at 3.4%. On housing, the median home value is $211,500 (15% below the state average) with median rent at $1,362 per month, and 79.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.6, and the average commute is 50 minutes. To put 78616 in local context, 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Caldwell County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 78616

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Dale, TX

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 78616.

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 78616, Dale, 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

7,092

Population

284.8

Area (sq mi)

25

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 78616?

30.6

Median Age

52.7%

Male

47.3%

Female

26.3%

Foreign-Born

White 26.2%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 3.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 52.6%
Hispanic or Latino 75.8%

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?

$64,715

Median Household Income

-14% vs state

$28,448

Per Capita Income

11.7%

Poverty Rate

3.4%

Unemployment Rate

49.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 78616 ranks nationally

Dale, TX household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$64,715 38th percentile higher than 38% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $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 42.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.9%

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

What does housing look like?

3,423

Total Housing Units

3,188

Occupied Units

235

Vacant Units

3.35

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.5%
Renter 20.5%

$211,500

Median Home Value

-15% vs state

$1,362

Median Rent

1998

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 73 business establishments in ZIP 78616, employing approximately 306 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,222,000.

73

Businesses

306

Employees

$16.2M

Annual Payroll

6

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 34 46.6%
Other services (except public administration) 9 12.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 7 9.6%
Retail trade 6 8.2%
Accommodation and food services 6 8.2%
Health care and social assistance 3 4.1%

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 78616 vs 78662 →

ZIP 78616 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 78616 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 78616 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 78616 ranks #3 of 3 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
78662 Red Rock, TX 2,268 7.7 mi
78644 Lockhart, TX 17,081 8.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Caldwell County

78644 standard
Lockhart, TX
Pop: 17,081
78648 standard
Luling, TX
Pop: 7,683
78655 standard
Martindale, TX
Pop: 2,739
78656 standard
Maxwell, TX
Pop: 2,271
78661 standard
Prairie Lea, TX
Pop: 335
78622 standard
Fentress, TX
Pop: 296

Related Areas

Caldwell County Dale, TX Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 78616 in? ▼
ZIP code 78616 (Dale) is located in Caldwell County, Texas. Caldwell County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/caldwell-tx.
What is the population of ZIP code 78616? ▼
ZIP code 78616 in Dale, TX has a population of 7,092 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 78616? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 78616 is $64,715, which is 15% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 78616? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 78616 is $211,500, which is 24% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 78616? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 78616 is Two or More Ethnicities at 52.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 75.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 78616? ▼
ZIP code 78616 has 73 business establishments employing approximately 306 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 78616? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 78616 are: Construction (34), Other services (except public administration) (9), Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services (7). There are 6 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 78616? ▼
In ZIP code 78616, 42.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.9% 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 78616? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 78616 is 49.7 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 78616? ▼
In ZIP code 78616, approximately 79.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78616? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 78616 is 11.7% 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.