78661 ZIP Code — Prairie Lea, TX

Caldwell County, Texas

ZIP code 78661 is located in Prairie Lea, Texas, within Caldwell County. It covers approximately 4.12 square miles and serves a population of 437 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 512/737.

About ZIP code 78661

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Median home value is $161,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 96%, well above the national average.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with professional and management as the leading industry. The average commute of 33 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 25%.

Overall, ZIP code 78661 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

437

population

4.12

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78661 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78661

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78661. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Prairie Lea	Acceptable

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	437
Population density	106 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	055

Geography
Land area	4.12 sq mi
Water area	0.08 sq mi
Latitude	29.7239
Longitude	-97.7456
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	512/737

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.8%	43.7%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	22.7%	36.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	16.5%	16.9%	22.6%
Over $200k	0.0%	3.4%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

437

Population

106

People per sq mi

33.9

Median age

Median household income

$25,494

Per capita income

$161,500

Median home value

Median monthly rent

95.9%

Home ownership

19.0%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

150

Housing units

14.1%

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

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	137	31.4%
18 and over	300	68.6%
65 and over	103	23.6%
Median age	33.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 75.2%

Black or African American 11.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 6.5%

Two or more races 4.5%

Hispanic or Latino 2.5%

Group	Count	%
White	337	75.2%
Black or African American	51	11.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	29	6.5%
Two or more races	20	4.5%
Hispanic or Latino	11	2.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.8%	43.7%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	22.7%	36.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	16.5%	16.9%	22.6%
Over $200k	0.0%	3.4%	7.8%

Under $10k 19.7%

$25k–$35k 16.3%

$35k–$50k 17.0%

$50k–$75k 4.8%

$75k–$100k 25.2%

$100k–$150k 10.9%

$150k–$200k 6.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	19.7%
$25k–$35k	16.3%
$35k–$50k	17.0%
$50k–$75k	4.8%
$75k–$100k	25.2%
$100k–$150k	10.9%
$150k–$200k	6.1%
Median income	$0

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.0%

$50k–$100k 18.4%

$100k–$150k 22.7%

$150k–$200k 24.8%

$200k–$300k 25.5%

$300k–$500k 3.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$161,500
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	95.9%
Renter occupied	4.1%
Vacant	5.8%
Single-family detached	62.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	26.9%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.69

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	23.7%
2000–2009	5.8%
1990–1999	14.1%
1980–1989	7.1%
1970–1979	9.0%
1960–1969	3.8%
1950–1959	17.3%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	19.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	31.4%
3 bedrooms	57.1%
4 bedrooms	11.5%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	25.9%
2 vehicles	53.7%
3 or more	20.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	9.5%
Electricity	44.2%
Propane / LP gas	46.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	52	35.4%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	38	25.9%
Female householder, no spouse	57	38.8%
Households with children under 18	60	40.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	68	46.3%
Average household size	2.97

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	41.6%	32.2%
Married	36.4%	31.7%
Separated	5.8%	0.0%
Widowed	0.0%	19.6%
Divorced	16.2%	16.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 9.2%

Some HS, no diploma 0.0%

HS graduate 61.1%

Some college, no degree 10.3%

Associate's degree 5.3%

Bachelor's degree 13.0%

Graduate / professional 1.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.8%
Bachelor's or higher	14.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	61	46.6%
High school	53	40.5%
College / grad school	17	13.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Professional & management 26.4%

Retail trade 24.1%

Manufacturing 13.8%

Education & healthcare 12.1%

Construction 9.2%

Transportation & utilities 6.9%

Agriculture & mining 3.4%

Public administration 2.3%

Finance & real estate 1.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	8.6%
Service	8.0%
Sales & office	46.6%
Natural resources & construction	20.1%
Production & transportation	16.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	89.7%
Government	2.3%
Self-employed	8.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.8%
Carpool	13.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.8

Poverty

All people 19.0%

Under 18 years 38.0%

18 and over 10.3%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 14.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	49.0%
Retirement income	34.7%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	2.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.7%
High blood pressure	38.1%
High cholesterol	33.5%
Diabetes	14.3%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	25.6%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	8.8%
Cancer	6.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.4%
Binge drinking	16.5%
No physical activity	33.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.9%
Depression	23.4%
Fair or poor health	23.4%
Poor mental health	17.0%
Poor physical health	14.2%
No health insurance	34.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.2%
Visited dentist	47.0%
Cholesterol screening	86.3%
Teeth loss	19.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	14	4.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	24.9%
Under 18	33.6%
18–64 years	9.1%
65 and over	43.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.9%
Public insurance	34.8%
No insurance	11.2%
Uninsured under 19	2.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	414	94.7%
Spanish	21	5.1%
Other Indo-European	21	5.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	437	100.0%
Born in same state	437	100.0%
Born in different state	374	85.6%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	74	16.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	18	4.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	33.6%
Internet access	93.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78661

What city is ZIP code 78661 in?

ZIP code 78661 is primarily assigned to Prairie Lea, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78661 in?

ZIP code 78661 falls within Caldwell County, Texas.

Is ZIP code 78661 mostly owner-occupied?

96% of occupied units in ZIP code 78661 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Is ZIP code 78661 family-oriented?

31% of residents in ZIP code 78661 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

Does ZIP code 78661 have a large retiree population?

49% of households in ZIP code 78661 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78661?

19% of residents in ZIP code 78661 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 78661 in?

ZIP code 78661 observes the CST timezone.