PlainZIP

Waelder, TX · standard

ZIP Code 78959

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

1,837
5/sq mi
$60,472
Median income
17.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Waelder pairs a below-median household income, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

30th pct
household income, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
76%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 78959 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 78959 covers 408.2 square miles in Waelder, Gonzales County, Texas (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,837 residents on file, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 78959 reports a modest median household income of $60,472 (20% below the Texas average), while per-capita income is $35,045. Poverty here runs at 12.6%, with unemployment measured at 5.4%. Housing costs here run - for a typical home value, with rent averaging $936 a month; 76.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 49.7, and the average commute is 29 minutes. The state and national benchmarks above give 78959's numbers context; they should not be read in isolation.

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 78959

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Waelder, TX

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 78959.

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 78959, Waelder, 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

1,837

Population

408.2

Area (sq mi)

5

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 78959?

49.7

Median Age

51.1%

Male

48.9%

Female

15.7%

Foreign-Born

White 44.8%
African American 3.4%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 41.7%
Hispanic or Latino 52.1%

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?

$60,472

Median Household Income

-20% vs state

$35,045

Per Capita Income

12.6%

Poverty Rate

5.4%

Unemployment Rate

28.8 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 78959 ranks nationally

Waelder, TX household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$60,472 30th percentile higher than 30% 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 51.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.3%

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

What does housing look like?

705

Total Housing Units

568

Occupied Units

137

Vacant Units

2.04

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 76.2%
Renter 23.8%

$936

Median Rent

1992

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 23 business establishments in ZIP 78959, employing approximately 457 people with a combined annual payroll of $28,413,000.

23

Businesses

457

Employees

$28.4M

Annual Payroll

3

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 6 26.1%
Transportation and warehousing 4 17.4%
Wholesale trade 3 13.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

More ZIP Codes in Gonzales County

78629 standard
Gonzales, TX
Pop: 11,887
78140 standard
Nixon, TX
Pop: 3,380
78159 standard
Smiley, TX
Pop: 1,023
78632 standard
Harwood, TX
Pop: 910
78614 standard
Cost, TX
Pop: 456
78122 standard
Leesville, TX
Pop: 418

Related Areas

Gonzales County Waelder, TX Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 78959 in? ▼
ZIP code 78959 (Waelder) is located in Gonzales County, Texas. Gonzales County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/gonzales-tx.
What is the population of ZIP code 78959? ▼
ZIP code 78959 in Waelder, TX has a population of 1,837 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 78959? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 78959 is $60,472, which is 21% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 78959? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 78959 is White at 44.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 52.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 78959? ▼
ZIP code 78959 has 23 business establishments employing approximately 457 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 78959? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 78959 are: Retail trade (6), Transportation and warehousing (4), Wholesale trade (3). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 78959? ▼
In ZIP code 78959, 51.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.3% 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 78959? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 78959 is 28.8 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 78959? ▼
In ZIP code 78959, approximately 76.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78959? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 78959 is 12.6% 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.