78616 ZIP Code — Dale, TX

Caldwell County, Texas

ZIP code 78616 is located in Dale, Texas, within Caldwell County. It covers approximately 118.26 square miles and serves a population of 8,821 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 512.

About ZIP code 78616

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $171,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($68,191) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up.

The dominant occupation class is natural resources, construction, and trades, with construction as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 53 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks. 35% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 20% of households.

Overall, ZIP code 78616 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and high homeownership.

8,821

population

118.26

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78616 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78616

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78616. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Dale	Acceptable
Dale	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78644 Lockhart (6.9 mi) 78662 Red Rock (8 mi) 78953 Rosanky (11.2 mi) 78648 Luling (13.8 mi) 78632 Harwood (14.7 mi) 78612 Cedar Creek (15.6 mi) 78656 Maxwell (16.1 mi) 78655 Martindale (16.3 mi) 78617 Del Valle (18.2 mi) 78640 Kyle (18.9 mi) 78719 Austin (19.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	8,821
Population density	75 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	055

Geography
Land area	118.26 sq mi
Water area	0.26 sq mi
Latitude	29.8826
Longitude	-97.5511
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	44.4%	43.7%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	35.1%	36.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	16.6%	16.9%	22.6%
Over $200k	3.9%	3.4%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

8,821

Population

People per sq mi

33.8

Median age

$68,191

Median household income

$30,636

Per capita income

$171,500

Median home value

$1,127

Median monthly rent

82.2%

Home ownership

12.1%

Poverty rate

2.8%

Unemployment

2,450

Housing units

14.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

238

Under 5

197

342

5–9

282

548

10–14

453

398

15–19

329

351

20–24

291

654

25–34

541

676

35–44

560

597

45–54

493

200

55–59

166

252

60–64

209

299

65–74

248

224

75–84

186

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,541	28.8%
18 and over	6,280	71.2%
65 and over	1,044	11.8%
Median age	33.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 38.9%

Hispanic or Latino 27.9%

Two or more races 23.6%

Other race 6.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.6%

Black or African American 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	4,757	38.9%
Hispanic or Latino	3,410	27.9%
Two or more races	2,888	23.6%
Other race	830	6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	322	2.6%
Black or African American	24	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.4%	43.7%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	35.1%	36.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	16.6%	16.9%	22.6%
Over $200k	3.9%	3.4%	7.8%

Under $10k 1.2%

$10k–$15k 0.3%

$15k–$25k 6.9%

$25k–$35k 9.7%

$35k–$50k 19.5%

$50k–$75k 19.2%

$75k–$100k 10.5%

$100k–$150k 15.9%

$150k–$200k 4.8%

$200k+ 11.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.2%
$10k–$15k	0.3%
$15k–$25k	6.9%
$25k–$35k	9.7%
$35k–$50k	19.5%
$50k–$75k	19.2%
$75k–$100k	10.5%
$100k–$150k	15.9%
$150k–$200k	4.8%
$200k+	11.9%
Median income	$68,191

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.2%

$50k–$100k 13.9%

$100k–$150k 13.6%

$150k–$200k 24.7%

$200k–$300k 16.1%

$300k–$500k 18.3%

$500k–$1M 1.8%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$171,500
Median rent / month	$1,127
Owner occupied	82.2%
Renter occupied	17.8%
Vacant	11.0%
Single-family detached	42.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	55.8%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	3.28

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.0%
2010–2019	19.8%
2000–2009	26.3%
1990–1999	15.1%
1980–1989	17.9%
1970–1979	7.3%
1960–1969	1.5%
1950–1959	1.3%
1940–1949	1.5%
1939 or earlier	7.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.0%
1 bedroom	4.6%
2 bedrooms	16.6%
3 bedrooms	48.6%
4 bedrooms	23.2%
5+ bedrooms	3.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.0%
1 vehicle	26.3%
2 vehicles	33.7%
3 or more	38.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.4%
Electricity	75.2%
Propane / LP gas	21.4%
Wood	0.7%
No fuel used	1.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,452	56.1%
Cohabiting couple	265	10.2%
Male householder, no spouse	406	15.7%
Female householder, no spouse	467	18.0%
Households with children under 18	1,273	49.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	718	27.7%
Average household size	3.41

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	38.1%	30.3%
Married	44.6%	49.0%
Separated	2.4%	0.2%
Widowed	4.6%	6.9%
Divorced	10.3%	13.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 11.6%

Some HS, no diploma 18.7%

HS graduate 32.1%

Some college, no degree 19.0%

Associate's degree 4.0%

Bachelor's degree 10.4%

Graduate / professional 4.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	69.6%
Bachelor's or higher	14.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	55	2.2%
Kindergarten	203	8.0%
Elementary school	1,375	54.3%
High school	540	21.3%
College / grad school	357	14.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Construction 31.2%

Education & healthcare 16.7%

Professional & management 9.7%

Transportation & utilities 9.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.3%

Public administration 7.3%

Manufacturing 7.0%

Retail trade 6.4%

Finance & real estate 1.6%

Wholesale trade 1.3%

Other services 0.8%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.1%
Service	14.1%
Sales & office	18.4%
Natural resources & construction	30.1%
Production & transportation	12.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.2%
Government	13.8%
Self-employed	16.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.4%
Carpool	17.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	5.6%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	52.9

Poverty

All people 12.1%

Under 18 years 20.7%

18 and over 8.6%

Married-couple families 9.2%

Female-led households 13.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	29.7%
Retirement income	20.3%
Supplemental Security	3.6%
Cash public assistance	0.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.7%
High blood pressure	34.8%
High cholesterol	34.5%
Diabetes	13.0%
Heart disease	6.4%
Stroke	3.1%
Asthma	9.5%
Arthritis	22.2%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.4%
Cancer	5.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.0%
Binge drinking	18.4%
No physical activity	30.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.8%
Depression	22.5%
Fair or poor health	21.5%
Poor mental health	16.8%
Poor physical health	13.1%
No health insurance	35.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	67.6%
Visited dentist	48.4%
Cholesterol screening	86.7%
Teeth loss	17.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	424	6.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.4%
Under 18	5.4%
18–64 years	7.6%
65 and over	45.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	45.0%
Public insurance	26.6%
No insurance	34.9%
Uninsured under 19	38.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	8,386	95.1%
Spanish	1,707	20.4%
Other Indo-European	1,707	20.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,892	78.1%
Born in same state	6,627	75.1%
Born in different state	5,584	63.3%
Foreign born	265	3.0%
Naturalized citizen	1,929	21.9%
Not a US citizen	363	18.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	354	4%
Arab	295	3.3%
Italian	228	2.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	82	0.9%
Polish	27	0.3%
Irish	13	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	29.4%
Internet access	84.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78616

What city is ZIP code 78616 in?

ZIP code 78616 is primarily assigned to Dale, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78616 in?

ZIP code 78616 falls within Caldwell County, Texas.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 78616?

Approximately 20% of households in ZIP code 78616 speak Spanish as a primary language.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 78616?

15% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 78616 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 78616 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 78616?

The median home value in ZIP code 78616 is $171,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 78616 in?

ZIP code 78616 observes the CST timezone.