78578 ZIP Code — Port Isabel, TX

Cameron County, Texas

ZIP code 78578 is located in Port Isabel, Texas, within Cameron County. It covers approximately 56.95 square miles and serves a population of 10,540 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 956.

About ZIP code 78578

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 $184,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 70%.

The gap between median ($49,396) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 24% of residents, above the national average. 40% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 17 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (16%) compared to national benchmarks. 35% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 78578 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

10,540

population

56.95

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78578 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78578

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78578. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Port Isabel	Acceptable
Port Isabel	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78566 Los Fresnos (10 mi) 78526 Brownsville (10.1 mi) 78521 Brownsville (11.7 mi) 78575 Olmito (16 mi) 78520 Brownsville (16.4 mi) 78583 Rio Hondo (19.9 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	10,540
Population density	185 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	061

Geography
Land area	56.95 sq mi
Water area	22.02 sq mi
Latitude	26.0260
Longitude	-97.2920
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	956

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.6%	57.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	24.4%	28.1%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	13.5%	12.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	1.6%	2.3%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

10,540

Population

185

People per sq mi

44.1

Median age

$49,396

Median household income

$30,974

Per capita income

$184,100

Median home value

$636

Median monthly rent

69.9%

Home ownership

24.1%

Poverty rate

1.8%

Unemployment

5,137

Housing units

21.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

406

Under 5

430

330

5–9

348

318

10–14

336

251

15–19

265

193

20–24

203

561

25–34

593

611

35–44

645

495

45–54

524

253

55–59

268

421

60–64

445

690

65–74

729

482

75–84

509

114

85+

120

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,535	24.1%
18 and over	8,005	75.9%
65 and over	2,644	25.1%
Median age	44.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 77.5%

Hispanic or Latino 10.8%

Two or more races 8.3%

Other race 3%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	9,153	77.5%
Hispanic or Latino	1,270	10.8%
Two or more races	985	8.3%
Other race	351	3%
Asian	40	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.6%	57.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	24.4%	28.1%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	13.5%	12.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	1.6%	2.3%	7.8%

Under $10k 13.4%

$10k–$15k 5.0%

$15k–$25k 10.2%

$25k–$35k 10.6%

$35k–$50k 11.3%

$50k–$75k 17.4%

$75k–$100k 10.8%

$100k–$150k 8.3%

$150k–$200k 6.7%

$200k+ 6.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	13.4%
$10k–$15k	5.0%
$15k–$25k	10.2%
$25k–$35k	10.6%
$35k–$50k	11.3%
$50k–$75k	17.4%
$75k–$100k	10.8%
$100k–$150k	8.3%
$150k–$200k	6.7%
$200k+	6.3%
Median income	$49,396

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.4%

$50k–$100k 16.3%

$100k–$150k 17.6%

$150k–$200k 15.2%

$200k–$300k 16.1%

$300k–$500k 20.3%

$500k–$1M 6.3%

$1M+ 1.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$184,100
Median rent / month	$636
Owner occupied	69.9%
Renter occupied	30.1%
Vacant	35.4%
Single-family detached	43.5%
Large apartment buildings	5.6%
Mobile homes	27.3%
Median rooms	4.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.50

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	15.1%
2000–2009	17.9%
1990–1999	18.9%
1980–1989	18.7%
1970–1979	17.0%
1960–1969	6.0%
1950–1959	4.6%
1940–1949	1.1%
1939 or earlier	0.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.7%
1 bedroom	14.8%
2 bedrooms	39.3%
3 bedrooms	37.4%
4 bedrooms	6.3%
5+ bedrooms	0.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.3%
1 vehicle	56.0%
2 vehicles	32.7%
3 or more	8.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.8%
Electricity	91.1%
Propane / LP gas	3.0%
No fuel used	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,128	51.7%
Cohabiting couple	26	0.6%
Male householder, no spouse	742	18.0%
Female householder, no spouse	1,223	29.7%
Households with children under 18	1,193	29.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,855	45.0%
Average household size	2.56

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	21.1%	19.0%
Married	64.8%	56.7%
Separated	0.6%	3.2%
Widowed	5.2%	12.7%
Divorced	8.4%	8.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 13.2%

Some HS, no diploma 6.2%

HS graduate 33.7%

Some college, no degree 19.0%

Associate's degree 6.2%

Bachelor's degree 12.9%

Graduate / professional 8.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	80.6%
Bachelor's or higher	21.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	50	2.5%
Kindergarten	154	7.6%
Elementary school	1,022	50.7%
High school	527	26.2%
College / grad school	261	13.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 20.2%

Retail trade 11.0%

Professional & management 10.0%

Finance & real estate 7.4%

Public administration 6.1%

Transportation & utilities 6.0%

Other services 5.3%

Manufacturing 4.7%

Construction 4.5%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Wholesale trade 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.1%
Service	22.1%
Sales & office	21.9%
Natural resources & construction	8.5%
Production & transportation	9.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.5%
Government	23.4%
Self-employed	9.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.9%
Carpool	4.1%
Public transit	1.1%
Walk	0.8%
Work from home	6.4%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.7

Poverty

All people 24.1%

Under 18 years 34.8%

18 and over 20.7%

Married-couple families 12.5%

Female-led households 50.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.4%
Retirement income	22.9%
Supplemental Security	3.4%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.4%
High blood pressure	36.0%
High cholesterol	37.2%
Diabetes	15.6%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	8.6%
Arthritis	21.7%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	6.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.8%
Binge drinking	16.4%
No physical activity	29.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.2%
Depression	20.5%
Fair or poor health	25.2%
Poor mental health	15.5%
Poor physical health	14.7%
No health insurance	42.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.7%
Visited dentist	51.3%
Cholesterol screening	87.5%
Teeth loss	13.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	561	7.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.1%
Under 18	1.1%
18–64 years	7.9%
65 and over	23.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	36.1%
Public insurance	39.5%
No insurance	35.2%
Uninsured under 19	43.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	9,704	92.1%
Spanish	1,793	18.5%
Other Indo-European	1,743	18.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	28	0.3%
Other languages	22	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,567	81.3%
Born in same state	8,545	81.1%
Born in different state	6,094	57.8%
Foreign born	22	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	1,973	18.7%
Not a US citizen	556	28.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,297	12.3%
Italian	327	3.1%
Arab	173	1.6%
Polish	118	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	51	0.5%
English	25	0.2%
Irish	9	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.1%
Internet access	93.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78578

What city is ZIP code 78578 in?

ZIP code 78578 is primarily assigned to Port Isabel, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78578 in?

ZIP code 78578 falls within Cameron County, Texas.

Does ZIP code 78578 have an older population?

25% of residents in ZIP code 78578 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78578?

24% of residents in ZIP code 78578 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 78578 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 78578 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 78578?

The median home value in ZIP code 78578 is $184,100.

What timezone is ZIP code 78578 in?

ZIP code 78578 observes the CST timezone.