78586 ZIP Code — San Benito, TX

Cameron County, Texas

ZIP code 78586 is located in San Benito, Texas, within Cameron County. It covers approximately 152.51 square miles and serves a population of 49,504 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 956.

About ZIP code 78586

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $75,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $42,515. Poverty affects 26% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 29% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 33% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (17%) compared to national benchmarks. 28% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 25% of households.

Overall, ZIP code 78586 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

49,504

population

152.51

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78586 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78586

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78586. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
San Benito	Acceptable
San Benito	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78575 Olmito (7.4 mi) 78552 Harlingen (10.3 mi) 78520 Brownsville (10.5 mi) 78550 Harlingen (10.7 mi) 78559 La Feria (13.3 mi) 78526 Brownsville (13.7 mi) 78566 Los Fresnos (14.3 mi) 78593 Santa Rosa (16.1 mi) 78583 Rio Hondo (17.1 mi) 78570 Mercedes (17.2 mi) 78521 Brownsville (18.8 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	49,504
Population density	325 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	061

Geography
Land area	152.51 sq mi
Water area	7.27 sq mi
Latitude	26.0950
Longitude	-97.6381
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	64.2%	57.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	24.7%	28.1%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	10.0%	12.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	1.1%	2.3%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

49,504

Population

325

People per sq mi

30.2

Median age

$42,515

Median household income

$18,317

Per capita income

$75,800

Median home value

$812

Median monthly rent

76.7%

Home ownership

25.6%

Poverty rate

4.3%

Unemployment

12,915

Housing units

12.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,777

Under 5

1,821

2,039

5–9

2,089

2,272

10–14

2,327

2,484

15–19

2,546

2,170

20–24

2,223

2,660

25–34

2,725

2,647

35–44

2,713

2,889

45–54

2,960

1,231

55–59

1,261

972

60–64

995

1,919

65–74

1,966

903

75–84

925

489

85+

501

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	15,223	30.8%
18 and over	34,281	69.2%
65 and over	6,703	13.5%
Median age	30.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 42.5%

Hispanic or Latino 28.6%

Two or more races 23.5%

Other race 5.2%

Black or African American 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	29,454	42.5%
Hispanic or Latino	19,805	28.6%
Two or more races	16,310	23.5%
Other race	3,609	5.2%
Black or African American	63	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	64.2%	57.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	24.7%	28.1%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	10.0%	12.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	1.1%	2.3%	7.8%

Under $10k 7.2%

$10k–$15k 4.7%

$15k–$25k 18.5%

$25k–$35k 12.3%

$35k–$50k 14.8%

$50k–$75k 18.4%

$75k–$100k 9.3%

$100k–$150k 9.3%

$150k–$200k 2.7%

$200k+ 2.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.2%
$10k–$15k	4.7%
$15k–$25k	18.5%
$25k–$35k	12.3%
$35k–$50k	14.8%
$50k–$75k	18.4%
$75k–$100k	9.3%
$100k–$150k	9.3%
$150k–$200k	2.7%
$200k+	2.8%
Median income	$42,515

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 29.7%

$50k–$100k 33.3%

$100k–$150k 16.0%

$150k–$200k 8.3%

$200k–$300k 7.1%

$300k–$500k 3.9%

$500k–$1M 1.5%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$75,800
Median rent / month	$812
Owner occupied	76.7%
Renter occupied	23.3%
Vacant	10.1%
Single-family detached	70.5%
Large apartment buildings	2.6%
Mobile homes	18.3%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	3.44

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	14.7%
2000–2009	22.0%
1990–1999	14.5%
1980–1989	13.5%
1970–1979	15.9%
1960–1969	5.8%
1950–1959	7.1%
1940–1949	3.1%
1939 or earlier	2.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.5%
1 bedroom	9.5%
2 bedrooms	30.1%
3 bedrooms	41.5%
4 bedrooms	13.9%
5+ bedrooms	3.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.5%
1 vehicle	35.6%
2 vehicles	34.4%
3 or more	24.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.2%
Electricity	90.4%
Propane / LP gas	3.0%
Wood	0.1%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	7,671	52.2%
Cohabiting couple	507	3.5%
Male householder, no spouse	2,636	17.9%
Female householder, no spouse	3,876	26.4%
Households with children under 18	6,389	43.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,877	33.2%
Average household size	3.35

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.2%	31.0%
Married	52.4%	49.0%
Separated	3.0%	4.2%
Widowed	3.7%	7.2%
Divorced	7.7%	8.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 21.3%

Some HS, no diploma 13.6%

HS graduate 28.0%

Some college, no degree 17.9%

Associate's degree 6.7%

Bachelor's degree 8.0%

Graduate / professional 4.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	65.1%
Bachelor's or higher	12.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	998	6.7%
Kindergarten	863	5.8%
Elementary school	6,894	46.0%
High school	3,535	23.6%
College / grad school	2,701	18.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.3%

Retail trade 12.8%

Construction 10.6%

Professional & management 8.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.3%

Manufacturing 6.8%

Transportation & utilities 5.9%

Other services 4.3%

Public administration 4.3%

Finance & real estate 2.8%

Agriculture & mining 2.4%

Wholesale trade 1.3%

Information 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.9%
Service	27.4%
Sales & office	15.9%
Natural resources & construction	15.2%
Production & transportation	15.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.9%
Government	14.7%
Self-employed	11.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.3%
Carpool	9.5%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	7.2%
Other means	2.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.9

Poverty

All people 25.6%

Under 18 years 38.2%

18 and over 20.1%

Married-couple families 19.7%

Female-led households 32.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.2%
Retirement income	18.9%
Supplemental Security	8.6%
Cash public assistance	3.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	29.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.9%
High blood pressure	33.4%
High cholesterol	33.8%
Diabetes	17.4%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	8.8%
Arthritis	18.6%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	6.4%
Cancer	4.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.6%
Binge drinking	16.5%
No physical activity	35.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.9%
Depression	20.4%
Fair or poor health	30.3%
Poor mental health	16.8%
Poor physical health	16.1%
No health insurance	51.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	69.7%
Visited dentist	44.4%
Cholesterol screening	85.0%
Teeth loss	17.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,231	3.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.9%
Under 18	4.3%
18–64 years	11.5%
65 and over	38.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	35.2%
Public insurance	42.4%
No insurance	27.6%
Uninsured under 19	15.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	45,906	92.7%
Spanish	11,389	24.8%
Other Indo-European	11,357	24.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	32	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	38,694	78.2%
Born in same state	38,294	77.4%
Born in different state	35,052	70.8%
Foreign born	400	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	10,810	21.8%
Not a US citizen	3,881	35.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	528	1.1%
French	463	0.9%
Italian	316	0.6%
Polish	92	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	41	0.1%
Irish	11	0%
German	7	0%
Norwegian	5	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	29.7%
Internet access	84.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78586

What city is ZIP code 78586 in?

ZIP code 78586 is primarily assigned to San Benito, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78586 in?

ZIP code 78586 falls within Cameron County, Texas.

Is ZIP code 78586 family-oriented?

31% of residents in ZIP code 78586 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78586?

26% of residents in ZIP code 78586 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 78586?

Approximately 25% of households in ZIP code 78586 speak Spanish as a primary language.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 78586?

13% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What timezone is ZIP code 78586 in?

ZIP code 78586 observes the CST timezone.