78609 ZIP Code — Buchanan Dam, TX

Llano County, Texas

ZIP code 78609 is located in Buchanan Dam, Texas, within Llano County. It covers approximately 15.88 square miles and serves a population of 1,880 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 512.

About ZIP code 78609

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $260,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($67,578) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average. 58% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with construction as the leading industry. The average commute of 34 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (16%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 17% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 78609 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,880

population

15.88

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78609 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78609

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78609. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Buchanan Dam	Acceptable
Buchanan Dam	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78607 Bluffton (5.9 mi) 78639 Kingsland (7.6 mi) 78672 Tow (7.7 mi) 78643 Llano (11.5 mi) 78611 Burnet (12.6 mi) 78657 Horseshoe Bay (16.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,880
Population density	118 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	299

Geography
Land area	15.88 sq mi
Water area	12.03 sq mi
Latitude	30.7605
Longitude	-98.4752
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	512

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.7%	42.6%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	29.4%	28.8%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	27.6%	20.5%	22.6%
Over $200k	4.2%	8.1%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

1,880

Population

118

People per sq mi

63.2

Median age

$67,578

Median household income

$44,418

Per capita income

$260,600

Median home value

$989

Median monthly rent

82.5%

Home ownership

4.2%

Poverty rate

0.1%

Unemployment

1,151

Housing units

27.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

105

60–64

314

65–74

281

101

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	281	14.9%
18 and over	1,599	85.1%
65 and over	835	44.4%
Median age	63.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.6%

Two or more races 5.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1%

Other race 0.3%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	1,750	90.6%
Two or more races	101	5.2%
Hispanic or Latino	51	2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	19	1%
Other race	6	0.3%
Asian	4	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.7%	42.6%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	29.4%	28.8%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	27.6%	20.5%	22.6%
Over $200k	4.2%	8.1%	7.8%

Under $10k 4.9%

$15k–$25k 4.6%

$25k–$35k 15.4%

$35k–$50k 8.3%

$50k–$75k 19.8%

$75k–$100k 10.4%

$100k–$150k 23.1%

$150k–$200k 7.0%

$200k+ 6.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.9%
$15k–$25k	4.6%
$25k–$35k	15.4%
$35k–$50k	8.3%
$50k–$75k	19.8%
$75k–$100k	10.4%
$100k–$150k	23.1%
$150k–$200k	7.0%
$200k+	6.6%
Median income	$67,578

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.8%

$50k–$100k 6.7%

$100k–$150k 10.7%

$150k–$200k 17.8%

$200k–$300k 16.4%

$300k–$500k 18.9%

$500k–$1M 19.2%

$1M+ 2.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$260,600
Median rent / month	$989
Owner occupied	82.5%
Renter occupied	17.5%
Vacant	36.7%
Single-family detached	69.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	23.2%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.25

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	4.1%
2000–2009	11.9%
1990–1999	30.3%
1980–1989	18.8%
1970–1979	18.5%
1960–1969	10.4%
1950–1959	5.7%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	0.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	10.7%
2 bedrooms	33.3%
3 bedrooms	41.7%
4 bedrooms	10.7%
5+ bedrooms	3.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.3%
1 vehicle	25.2%
2 vehicles	41.1%
3 or more	30.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.0%
Electricity	83.2%
Propane / LP gas	14.8%
Wood	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	529	64.6%
Cohabiting couple	42	5.1%
Male householder, no spouse	167	20.4%
Female householder, no spouse	81	9.9%
Households with children under 18	92	11.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	534	65.2%
Average household size	2.30

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	14.9%	6.6%
Married	65.9%	71.0%
Separated	1.3%	0.4%
Widowed	3.1%	14.6%
Divorced	14.9%	7.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.7%

Some HS, no diploma 1.9%

HS graduate 33.1%

Some college, no degree 31.4%

Associate's degree 5.6%

Bachelor's degree 10.8%

Graduate / professional 16.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	97.4%
Bachelor's or higher	27.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	16	11.4%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	93	66.4%
High school	23	16.4%
College / grad school	8	5.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Construction 16.5%

Retail trade 11.6%

Finance & real estate 11.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.0%

Other services 10.9%

Agriculture & mining 10.2%

Public administration 8.1%

Transportation & utilities 5.1%

Professional & management 5.1%

Education & healthcare 5.1%

Manufacturing 4.4%

Information 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.0%
Service	13.4%
Sales & office	26.4%
Natural resources & construction	20.3%
Production & transportation	15.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	64.0%
Government	17.2%
Self-employed	18.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.7%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.7%
Carpool	6.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.6%
Work from home	5.5%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	33.6

Poverty

All people 4.2%

Under 18 years 0.7%

18 and over 4.8%

Married-couple families 4.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	58.2%
Retirement income	49.3%
Supplemental Security	2.2%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.5%
High blood pressure	47.8%
High cholesterol	45.3%
Diabetes	16.0%
Heart disease	11.2%
Stroke	4.8%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	34.6%
Kidney disease	4.4%
Pulmonary disease	10.9%
Cancer	10.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.2%
Binge drinking	14.3%
No physical activity	26.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.3%
Depression	21.5%
Fair or poor health	20.2%
Poor mental health	13.4%
Poor physical health	14.2%
No health insurance	19.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.1%
Visited dentist	56.4%
Cholesterol screening	93.5%
Teeth loss	15.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	275	17.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.5%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	15.4%
65 and over	32.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.1%
Public insurance	55.3%
No insurance	11.0%
Uninsured under 19	8.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,715	91.2%
Spanish	47	2.7%
Other Indo-European	47	2.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,792	95.3%
Born in same state	1,785	94.9%
Born in different state	1,205	64.1%
Foreign born	7	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	88	4.7%
Not a US citizen	42	47.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	371	19.7%
Arab	157	8.4%
Italian	123	6.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	33	1.8%
Dutch	13	0.7%
English	7	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.6%
Internet access	93.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78609

What city is ZIP code 78609 in?

ZIP code 78609 is primarily assigned to Buchanan Dam, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78609 in?

ZIP code 78609 falls within Llano County, Texas.

Does ZIP code 78609 have an older population?

44% of residents in ZIP code 78609 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 78609 have a large retiree population?

58% of households in ZIP code 78609 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 78609 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 78609 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 78609 have a large veteran population?

17% of civilians in ZIP code 78609 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 78609 in?

ZIP code 78609 observes the CST timezone.