PlainZIP

Prairie Lea, TX · standard

ZIP Code 78661

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

335
51/sq mi
$82,896
Median income
$209,700
Median home value
9.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Prairie Lea pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 35%
household income, US ZIPs
46th pct
home value, US ZIPs
51
people per sq mi
91%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 78661 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 78661 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Prairie Lea, Caldwell County, Texas, home to just 335 residents across 6.5 square miles, a density of 51 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 78661 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $82,896 (10% above the Texas average), while per-capita income is $26,002. Local economic indicators show a 29.2% poverty rate alongside 4.3% unemployment. Median home value sits at $209,700 (15% below the state average), median rent at - a month, and owner-occupancy at 91.4%.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 9.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 27.1, and the average commute is -. Beyond these figures, 6 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Caldwell County, letting you compare 78661 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

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 →

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 78661, Prairie Lea, 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

335

Population

6.5

Area (sq mi)

51

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 78661?

27.1

Median Age

53.1%

Male

46.9%

Female

1.8%

Foreign-Born

White 59.0%
African American 12.2%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 7.9%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 20.8%
Hispanic or Latino 70.8%

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?

$82,896

Median Household Income

+10% vs state

$26,002

Per Capita Income

29.2%

Poverty Rate

4.3%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 78661 ranks nationally

Prairie Lea, TX household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$82,896 Top 35% higher than 65% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 70.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 9.0%

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

What does housing look like?

241

Total Housing Units

233

Occupied Units

8

Vacant Units

3.58

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 91.4%
Renter 8.6%

$209,700

Median Home Value

-15% vs state

1991

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 8 business establishments in ZIP 78661, employing approximately 38 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,752,000.

8

Businesses

38

Employees

$2.8M

Annual Payroll

0

Industry Sectors

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 78661 vs 78622 →

ZIP 78661 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 78661 ranks #5 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 78661 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 78661 ranks the highest of 6 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
78622 Fentress, TX 296 2.4 mi
78638 Kingsbury, TX 2,005 5.4 mi
78670 Staples, TX 168 5.1 mi
78648 Luling, TX 7,683 7.5 mi
78655 Martindale, TX 2,739 8.0 mi
78644 Lockhart, TX 17,081 11.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Caldwell County

78644 standard
Lockhart, TX
Pop: 17,081
78648 standard
Luling, TX
Pop: 7,683
78616 standard
Dale, TX
Pop: 7,092
78655 standard
Martindale, TX
Pop: 2,739
78656 standard
Maxwell, TX
Pop: 2,271
78622 standard
Fentress, TX
Pop: 296

Related Areas

Caldwell County Prairie Lea, TX Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 78661 in? ▼
ZIP code 78661 (Prairie Lea) 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 78661? ▼
ZIP code 78661 in Prairie Lea, TX has a population of 335 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 78661? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 78661 is $82,896, which is 9% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 78661? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 78661 is $209,700, which is 25% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 78661? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 78661 is White at 59.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 70.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 78661? ▼
ZIP code 78661 has 8 business establishments employing approximately 38 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 78661? ▼
In ZIP code 78661, 70.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 9.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 78661? ▼
In ZIP code 78661, approximately 91.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 8.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78661? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 78661 is 29.2% 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.