PlainZIP

Austin, TX · standard

ZIP Code 78738

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

12,134
276/sq mi
$183,048
Median income
$916,300
Median home value
75.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Austin pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 2%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 3%
home value, US ZIPs
276
people per sq mi
75%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 78738 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 78738 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Austin, Travis County, Texas, home to 12,134 residents across 44.0 square miles, a density of 276 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 78738 skews affluent, with a median household income of $183,048 (142% above the Texas average), while per-capita income is $99,621. 3.8% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 3.3%. The typical home here is valued at $916,300 (270% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,983 monthly, and 75.3% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 75.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.4, and the average commute is 26 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Travis County, so you can benchmark 78738 against its immediate geography rather than a national average 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 78738

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Austin, TX

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 78738.

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 78738, Austin, 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

12,134

Population

44.0

Area (sq mi)

276

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 78738?

43.4

Median Age

50.4%

Male

49.6%

Female

15.0%

Foreign-Born

White 70.7%
African American 3.0%
Asian 12.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%

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?

$183,048

Median Household Income

+142% vs state

$99,621

Per Capita Income

3.8%

Poverty Rate

3.3%

Unemployment Rate

25.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 78738 ranks nationally

Austin, TX household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$183,048 Top 2% higher than 98% 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%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Below this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Below this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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 83.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 75.0%

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

What does housing look like?

12,533

Total Housing Units

12,063

Occupied Units

470

Vacant Units

2.56

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 75.3%
Renter 24.7%

$916,300

Median Home Value

+270% vs state

$1,983

Median Rent

2011

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

+1.7%

YoY Change (2024)

291

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+191%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 78738 have increased 1.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +191% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +5.3% 193
2021 +14.9% 222
2022 +41.2% 313
2023 -8.5% 287
2024 +1.7% 291

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 1,288 business establishments in ZIP 78738, employing approximately 13,677 people with a combined annual payroll of $966,720,000.

1,288

Businesses

13,677

Employees

$966.7M

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 318 24.7%
Health care and social assistance 154 12.0%
Finance and insurance 123 9.6%
Retail trade 117 9.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 97 7.5%
Construction 88 6.8%
Other services (except public administration) 85 6.6%
Accommodation and food services 82 6.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 63 4.9%
Wholesale trade 34 2.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 29 2.3%
Information 28 2.2%
Educational services 26 2.0%
Manufacturing 17 1.3%
Management of companies and enterprises 12 0.9%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 7 0.5%
Transportation and warehousing 6 0.5%

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 78738 vs 78736 →

ZIP 78738 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 78738 ranks #6 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 78738 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 78738 ranks #4 of 9 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
78736 Austin, TX 6,946 4.0 mi
78734 Austin, TX 17,655 4.1 mi
78733 Austin, TX 8,762 4.9 mi
78732 Austin, TX 14,060 5.7 mi
78737 Austin, TX 12,081 9.1 mi
78645 Leander, TX 9,773 9.0 mi
78735 Austin, TX 16,131 6.6 mi
78730 Austin, TX 7,955 7.9 mi
78746 Austin, TX 26,928 9.0 mi
78749 Austin, TX 34,449 9.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Travis County

78660 standard
Pflugerville, TX
Pop: 68,789
78745 standard
Austin, TX
Pop: 55,614
78753 standard
Austin, TX
Pop: 49,301
78741 standard
Austin, TX
Pop: 44,935
78758 standard
Austin, TX
Pop: 44,072
78744 standard
Austin, TX
Pop: 42,820

Related Areas

Travis County Austin, TX Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 78738 in? ▼
ZIP code 78738 (Austin) is located in Travis County, Texas. Travis County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/travis-tx.
What is the population of ZIP code 78738? ▼
ZIP code 78738 in Austin, TX has a population of 12,134 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 78738? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 78738 is $183,048, which is 140% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 78738? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 78738 is $916,300, which is 229% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 78738? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 78738 is White at 70.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 78738? ▼
ZIP code 78738 has 1,288 business establishments employing approximately 13,677 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 78738? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 78738 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (318), Health care and social assistance (154), Finance and insurance (123). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 78738? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 78738 increased by 1.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 191%. 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 78738? ▼
In ZIP code 78738, 83.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 75.0% 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 78738? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 78738 is 25.9 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 78738? ▼
In ZIP code 78738, approximately 75.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 24.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78738? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 78738 is 3.8% 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.