78242 ZIP Code — San Antonio, TX

Bexar County, Texas

ZIP code 78242 is located in San Antonio, Texas, within Bexar County. It covers approximately 7.92 square miles and serves a population of 36,404 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 210.

About ZIP code 78242

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $116,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 52%.

Median household income is $45,589. Poverty affects 28% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 31% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is service, with construction as the leading industry. The average commute of 29 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 9% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (46%), diabetes (16%) compared to national benchmarks. 24% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 22% of households.

Overall, ZIP code 78242 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

36,404

population

7.92

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78242 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78242

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78242. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
San Antonio	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78236 Jbsa Lackland (2.2 mi) 78211 San Antonio (2.6 mi) 78241 San Antonio (3.5 mi) 78226 San Antonio (3.6 mi) 78227 San Antonio (3.7 mi) 78224 San Antonio (5.1 mi) 78225 San Antonio (5.5 mi) 78237 San Antonio (5.5 mi) 78252 San Antonio (6.6 mi) 78207 San Antonio (7.1 mi) 78204 San Antonio (7.1 mi) 78073 Von Ormy (7.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	36,404
Population density	4,596 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	029

Geography
Land area	7.92 sq mi
Water area	0.03 sq mi
Latitude	29.3490
Longitude	-98.6061
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	210

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.0%	43.3%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	34.0%	31.4%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	6.5%	19.9%	22.6%
Over $200k	0.5%	5.4%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

36,404

Population

4,596

People per sq mi

27.8

Median age

$45,589

Median household income

$16,361

Per capita income

$116,400

Median home value

$1,111

Median monthly rent

51.8%

Home ownership

27.8%

Poverty rate

12.2%

Unemployment

6,152

Housing units

8.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,710

Under 5

1,673

1,743

5–9

1,705

1,786

10–14

1,748

1,858

15–19

1,818

1,340

20–24

1,311

2,647

25–34

2,591

2,323

35–44

2,273

1,850

45–54

1,811

738

55–59

723

650

60–64

636

1,042

65–74

1,020

521

75–84

510

191

85+

186

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	12,616	34.7%
18 and over	23,788	65.3%
65 and over	3,470	9.5%
Median age	27.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 38.6%

Hispanic or Latino 28.2%

Other race 16.6%

Two or more races 13.2%

Black or African American 1.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	19,563	38.6%
Hispanic or Latino	14,279	28.2%
Other race	8,438	16.6%
Two or more races	6,682	13.2%
Black or African American	937	1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	703	1.4%
Asian	81	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.0%	43.3%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	34.0%	31.4%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	6.5%	19.9%	22.6%
Over $200k	0.5%	5.4%	7.8%

Under $10k 8.9%

$10k–$15k 7.7%

$15k–$25k 9.7%

$25k–$35k 13.3%

$35k–$50k 15.7%

$50k–$75k 20.8%

$75k–$100k 12.1%

$100k–$150k 8.8%

$150k–$200k 2.3%

$200k+ 0.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.9%
$10k–$15k	7.7%
$15k–$25k	9.7%
$25k–$35k	13.3%
$35k–$50k	15.7%
$50k–$75k	20.8%
$75k–$100k	12.1%
$100k–$150k	8.8%
$150k–$200k	2.3%
$200k+	0.7%
Median income	$45,589

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.2%

$50k–$100k 28.3%

$100k–$150k 33.8%

$150k–$200k 15.4%

$200k–$300k 9.9%

$300k–$500k 0.8%

$500k–$1M 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$116,400
Median rent / month	$1,111
Owner occupied	51.8%
Renter occupied	48.2%
Vacant	5.9%
Single-family detached	70.1%
Large apartment buildings	3.5%
Mobile homes	6.3%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	3.45

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	14.7%
2000–2009	11.6%
1990–1999	5.3%
1980–1989	11.9%
1970–1979	24.9%
1960–1969	21.7%
1950–1959	7.3%
1940–1949	1.0%
1939 or earlier	1.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.7%
1 bedroom	8.7%
2 bedrooms	15.5%
3 bedrooms	56.0%
4 bedrooms	14.6%
5+ bedrooms	1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.0%
1 vehicle	37.4%
2 vehicles	33.7%
3 or more	22.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	27.2%
Electricity	69.1%
Propane / LP gas	0.4%
Fuel oil	0.1%
Wood	0.1%
Solar	1.6%
No fuel used	1.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,494	42.4%
Cohabiting couple	1,090	10.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,840	17.4%
Female householder, no spouse	3,181	30.0%
Households with children under 18	5,237	49.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,687	25.3%
Average household size	3.43

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	45.6%	39.7%
Married	42.9%	36.5%
Separated	2.6%	5.4%
Widowed	3.0%	6.5%
Divorced	5.9%	12.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 17.1%

Some HS, no diploma 17.0%

HS graduate 32.2%

Some college, no degree 20.2%

Associate's degree 5.0%

Bachelor's degree 7.1%

Graduate / professional 1.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	66.0%
Bachelor's or higher	8.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	790	6.9%
Kindergarten	835	7.3%
Elementary school	5,275	46.1%
High school	2,757	24.1%
College / grad school	1,793	15.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Construction 18.7%

Education & healthcare 17.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.7%

Retail trade 13.5%

Professional & management 10.2%

Manufacturing 7.8%

Other services 4.2%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Finance & real estate 3.8%

Wholesale trade 2.3%

Public administration 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.0%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	15.7%
Service	26.2%
Sales & office	21.3%
Natural resources & construction	19.7%
Production & transportation	17.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.3%
Government	8.2%
Self-employed	8.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	69.4%
Carpool	23.0%
Public transit	1.0%
Walk	0.5%
Work from home	4.2%
Other means	1.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.3

Poverty

All people 27.8%

Under 18 years 38.7%

18 and over 22.0%

Married-couple families 14.0%

Female-led households 40.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	25.4%
Retirement income	17.0%
Supplemental Security	9.8%
Cash public assistance	2.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	31.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	45.5%
High blood pressure	34.0%
High cholesterol	31.6%
Diabetes	15.7%
Heart disease	6.2%
Stroke	3.1%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	19.6%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	6.2%
Cancer	3.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.7%
Binge drinking	16.7%
No physical activity	34.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.8%
Depression	22.7%
Fair or poor health	28.3%
Poor mental health	18.3%
Poor physical health	14.4%
No health insurance	48.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	69.0%
Visited dentist	40.2%
Cholesterol screening	83.3%
Teeth loss	22.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	910	3.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.7%
Under 18	10.1%
18–64 years	21.5%
65 and over	54.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	37.5%
Public insurance	47.0%
No insurance	23.6%
Uninsured under 19	9.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	33,021	90.7%
Spanish	7,102	21.5%
Other Indo-European	7,047	21.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	53	0.2%
Other languages	2	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	29,340	80.6%
Born in same state	28,921	79.4%
Born in different state	25,380	69.7%
Foreign born	419	1.2%
Naturalized citizen	7,064	19.4%
Not a US citizen	2,182	30.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,563	4.3%
Italian	1,018	2.8%
French	205	0.6%
Polish	58	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	32	0.1%
German	13	0%
Norwegian	10	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	29.1%
Internet access	94.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78242

What city is ZIP code 78242 in?

ZIP code 78242 is primarily assigned to San Antonio, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78242 in?

ZIP code 78242 falls within Bexar County, Texas.

Is ZIP code 78242 family-oriented?

35% of residents in ZIP code 78242 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78242?

28% of residents in ZIP code 78242 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 78242?

9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 78242?

Approximately 22% of households in ZIP code 78242 speak Spanish as a primary language.

What timezone is ZIP code 78242 in?

ZIP code 78242 observes the CST timezone.