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Texas ZIP Codes
Cameron County
South Padre Island, TX
78597
78597 ZIP Code — South Padre Island, TX
Cameron County, Texas
ZIP code 78597 is located in
South Padre Island ,
Texas ,
within Cameron County .
It covers approximately 8.84 square miles and serves a population of
2,386 residents.
This is a po box ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone,
served by area code 956 .
About ZIP code 78597
The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $389,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.
The gap between median ($62,557) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 39% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 15 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 20% of workers work from home.
Educational attainment is high — 54% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.
Overall, ZIP code 78597 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.
78597 ZIP code map
View map of 78597
Cities in ZIP code 78597
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78597. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
Demographics
updated 06/2026
Population
Total population
2,386
Population density
270 / sq mi
State FIPS
48
County FIPS
061
Geography
Land area
8.84 sq mi
Water area
124.47 sq mi
Latitude
26.3152
Longitude
-97.2429
Timezone
Central (CT)
Area code
956
Economics
updated 06/2026
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
40.0%
57.0%
39.5%
$50k – $100k
32.1%
28.1%
30.1%
$100k – $200k
15.0%
12.6%
22.6%
Over $200k
12.9%
2.3%
7.8%
Demographics & statistics
$62,557
Median household income
$389,400
Median home value
$1,361
Median monthly rent
53.7%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Age summary
Group Count % Under 18 228 9.6% 18 and over 2,158 90.4% 65 and over 674 28.2% Median age 58.5 years
Race & ethnicity
Black or African American
4.5%
Group Count % White 1,836 67.4% Hispanic or Latino 337 12.4% Two or more races 183 6.7% Other race 154 5.7% Black or African American 122 4.5% Asian 91 3.3%
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
40.0%
57.0%
39.5%
$50k – $100k
32.1%
28.1%
30.1%
$100k – $200k
15.0%
12.6%
22.6%
Over $200k
12.9%
2.3%
7.8%
Range % of households Under $10k 5.8% $15k–$25k 9.5% $25k–$35k 3.8% $35k–$50k 10.6% $50k–$75k 29.0% $75k–$100k 14.3% $100k–$150k 11.4% $150k–$200k 2.0% $200k+ 13.7% Median income $62,557
Housing
Housing overview
Metric Value Median home value $389,400 Median rent / month $1,361 Owner occupied 71.2% Renter occupied 28.8% Vacant 79.6% Single-family detached 13.2% Large apartment buildings 62.3% Mobile homes 0.3% Median rooms 4.4 Avg household size (owned) 2.07
Year built
Era % 2020 or later 0.0% 2010–2019 3.7% 2000–2009 13.6% 1990–1999 5.4% 1980–1989 50.5% 1970–1979 22.8% 1960–1969 2.0% 1950–1959 2.0% 1940–1949 0.0% 1939 or earlier 0.0%
Bedrooms
Size % of units No bedroom (studio) 4.8% 1 bedroom 10.6% 2 bedrooms 40.0% 3 bedrooms 35.0% 4 bedrooms 9.5% 5+ bedrooms 0.0%
Vehicles per household
Vehicles % of households No vehicle 4.1% 1 vehicle 55.2% 2 vehicles 34.6% 3 or more 6.0%
Heating fuel
Fuel type % Utility gas 1.9% Electricity 96.9% No fuel used 1.1%
Households & families
Household type Count % Married-couple family 555 45.0% Cohabiting couple 25 2.0% Male householder, no spouse 439 35.6% Female householder, no spouse 214 17.4% Households with children under 18 154 12.5% Households with seniors (65+) 512 41.5% Average household size 1.93
Marital status
Status Male Female Never married 35.3% 10.9% Married 56.1% 53.0% Separated 0.0% 0.0% Widowed 2.2% 15.5% Divorced 6.4% 20.6%
Education
Some college, no degree
26.2%
Graduate / professional
22.3%
Metric % HS diploma or higher 91.6% Bachelor's or higher 53.7%
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
Type Count % Nursery / preschool 38 14.6% Kindergarten 0 0.0% Elementary school 40 15.3% High school 59 22.6% College / grad school 124 47.5%
Employment
Industry of employment
Arts, food & hospitality
25.5%
Professional & management
19.9%
Education & healthcare
18.1%
Finance & real estate
9.7%
Transportation & utilities
6.1%
Public administration
3.4%
Occupation
Category % Management, business & arts 58.9% Service 20.5% Sales & office 12.9% Natural resources & construction 2.9% Production & transportation 4.8%
Employment type
Type % Private sector 81.3% Government 8.4% Self-employed 10.3% Unpaid family workers 0.0%
Commute
Method % Drive alone 58.5% Carpool 1.1% Public transit 0.0% Walk 15.9% Work from home 20.2% Other means 4.2% Avg commute (minutes) 14.6
Poverty
Married-couple families
11.0%
Female-led households
24.0%
Income support
Source % of households Social Security 38.5% Retirement income 22.5% Supplemental Security 1.2% Cash public assistance 0.0% Food stamps / SNAP 1.9%
Health indicators
Condition % Obesity 33.7% High blood pressure 37.1% High cholesterol 40.2% Diabetes 13.0% Heart disease 7.5% Stroke 3.2% Asthma 7.7% Arthritis 23.4% Kidney disease 3.3% Pulmonary disease 6.3% Cancer 8.1%
Behavior / access % Smoking 11.8% Binge drinking 16.4% No physical activity 17.8% Less than 7 hrs sleep 27.6% Depression 18.8% Fair or poor health 14.8% Poor mental health 11.9% Poor physical health 10.9% No health insurance 20.1% Visited doctor (checkup) 75.3% Visited dentist 68.9% Cholesterol screening 94.0% Teeth loss 7.5%
Veterans & disability
Veterans Count % Civilian veterans 122 5.7%
Disability % Any disability 7.7% Under 18 0.0% 18–64 years 6.6% 65 and over 12.8%
Health insurance coverage
Type % Private insurance 65.8% Public insurance 34.9% No insurance 13.2% Uninsured under 19 0.0%
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
Language Count % English only 2,272 95.2% Spanish 116 5.1% Other Indo-European 116 5.1% Asian & Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Other languages 0 0.0%
Place of birth & citizenship
Origin Count % Native born (US) 2,103 88.1% Born in same state 2,033 85.2% Born in different state 774 32.4% Foreign born 70 2.9% Naturalized citizen 283 11.9% Not a US citizen 200 70.7%
Ancestry
Ancestry Count % French 476 19.9% Italian 140 5.9% Arab 117 4.9%
Ancestry Count % English 40 1.7% Dutch 10 0.4%
Technology access
Metric % of households Computer access 51.7% Internet access 95.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78597
What city is ZIP code 78597 in?
ZIP code 78597 is primarily assigned to South Padre Island, Texas.
What county is ZIP code 78597 in?
ZIP code 78597 falls within Cameron County, Texas.
Does ZIP code 78597 have an older population?
28% of residents in ZIP code 78597 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.
How educated is the population of ZIP code 78597?
54% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.
Does ZIP code 78597 have a large retiree population?
39% of households in ZIP code 78597 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 78597?
The median home value in ZIP code 78597 is $389,400.
What timezone is ZIP code 78597 in?
ZIP code 78597 observes the CST timezone.
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