78879 ZIP Code — Rio Frio, TX

Real County, Texas

ZIP code 78879 is located in Rio Frio, Texas, within Real County. It covers approximately 21.90 square miles and serves a population of 291 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 830.

About ZIP code 78879

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $71,250. 77% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 43% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (19%), smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks. 34% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 78879 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

291

population

21.90

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78879 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78879

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78879. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rio Frio	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78873 Leakey (12.4 mi) 78833 Camp Wood (13.1 mi) 78838 Concan (13.5 mi) 78884 Utopia (14.5 mi) 78885 Vanderpool (16.3 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	291
Population density	13 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	385

Geography
Land area	21.90 sq mi
Water area	0.12 sq mi
Latitude	29.6760
Longitude	-99.7793
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	830

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	0.0%	60.3%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	74.0%	28.5%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	22.0%	6.4%	22.6%
Over $200k	4.0%	4.8%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

291

Population

People per sq mi

45.8

Median age

$71,250

Median household income

$28,454

Per capita income

Median home value

Median monthly rent

85.1%

Home ownership

0.0%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

210

Housing units

42.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

10–14

15–19

20–24

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	33	11.3%
18 and over	258	88.7%
65 and over	114	39.2%
Median age	45.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	291	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	0.0%	60.3%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	74.0%	28.5%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	22.0%	6.4%	22.6%
Over $200k	4.0%	4.8%	7.8%

$50k–$75k 72.3%

$75k–$100k 19.1%

$100k–$150k 7.4%

$200k+ 1.1%

Range	% of households
$50k–$75k	72.3%
$75k–$100k	19.1%
$100k–$150k	7.4%
$200k+	1.1%
Median income	$71,250

Housing

Home values

$150k–$200k 52.5%

$500k–$1M 25.0%

$1M+ 22.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$0
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	85.1%
Renter occupied	14.9%
Vacant	58.0%
Single-family detached	83.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	16.5%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.73

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	16.1%
2000–2009	12.9%
1990–1999	12.9%
1980–1989	27.7%
1970–1979	16.1%
1960–1969	2.2%
1950–1959	7.1%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	4.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	9.4%
1 bedroom	4.9%
2 bedrooms	23.7%
3 bedrooms	54.0%
4 bedrooms	8.0%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	0.0%
2 vehicles	98.9%
3 or more	1.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	80.9%
No fuel used	19.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	38	40.4%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	0	0.0%
Female householder, no spouse	56	59.6%
Households with children under 18	14	14.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	72	76.6%
Average household size	3.10

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	40.0%	45.3%
Married	60.0%	11.9%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.0%	0.0%
Divorced	0.0%	42.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 0.0%

HS graduate 0.0%

Some college, no degree 57.1%

Associate's degree 0.0%

Bachelor's degree 39.3%

Graduate / professional 3.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	100.0%
Bachelor's or higher	42.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	25	25.0%
High school	8	8.0%
College / grad school	67	67.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 80.6%

Retail trade 13.6%

Finance & real estate 4.9%

Professional & management 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	41.7%
Service	13.6%
Sales & office	44.7%
Natural resources & construction	0.0%
Production & transportation	0.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	100.0%
Government	0.0%
Self-employed	0.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	100.0%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	0.0

Poverty

All people 0.0%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 0.0%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	76.6%
Retirement income	39.4%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.8%
High blood pressure	49.3%
High cholesterol	46.3%
Diabetes	19.4%
Heart disease	12.4%
Stroke	5.8%
Asthma	9.9%
Arthritis	37.3%
Kidney disease	5.2%
Pulmonary disease	13.5%
Cancer	9.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.1%
Binge drinking	13.0%
No physical activity	33.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.2%
Depression	23.1%
Fair or poor health	27.1%
Poor mental health	15.0%
Poor physical health	17.7%
No health insurance	25.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.6%
Visited dentist	48.1%
Cholesterol screening	92.1%
Teeth loss	20.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	30	11.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.6%
Under 18	75.8%
18–64 years	15.3%
65 and over	6.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.6%
Public insurance	39.2%
No insurance	34.4%
Uninsured under 19	30.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	291	100.0%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	291	100.0%
Born in same state	291	100.0%
Born in different state	266	91.4%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	21	7.2%
Polish	18	6.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	7	2.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	32.3%
Internet access	100.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78879

What city is ZIP code 78879 in?

ZIP code 78879 is primarily assigned to Rio Frio, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78879 in?

ZIP code 78879 falls within Real County, Texas.

Does ZIP code 78879 have a large retiree population?

77% of households in ZIP code 78879 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 78879 have an older population?

39% of residents in ZIP code 78879 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 78879 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 78879 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 78879 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 78879 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 78879 in?

ZIP code 78879 observes the CST timezone.