78959 ZIP Code — Waelder, TX

Gonzales County, Texas

ZIP code 78959 is located in Waelder, Texas, within Gonzales County. It covers approximately 145.90 square miles and serves a population of 1,601 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 830.

About ZIP code 78959

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $100,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $57,610. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 45% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with construction as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 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 (15%) compared to national benchmarks. 24% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 26% of households.

Overall, ZIP code 78959 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

1,601

population

145.90

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78959 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78959

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78959. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Waelder	Acceptable
Waelder	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78941 Flatonia (10.8 mi) 78632 Harwood (12.7 mi) 78953 Rosanky (12.8 mi) 77975 Moulton (13.6 mi) 78629 Gonzales (18.9 mi) 77984 Shiner (19.2 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,601
Population density	11 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	177

Geography
Land area	145.90 sq mi
Water area	0.16 sq mi
Latitude	29.6753
Longitude	-97.2741
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	48.1%	43.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	40.3%	33.7%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	6.2%	18.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	5.4%	4.7%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

1,601

Population

People per sq mi

48.4

Median age

$57,610

Median household income

$31,626

Per capita income

$100,000

Median home value

$818

Median monthly rent

77.8%

Home ownership

13.0%

Poverty rate

3.7%

Unemployment

738

Housing units

12.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

100

35–44

119

104

45–54

123

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	214	13.4%
18 and over	1,387	86.6%
65 and over	362	22.6%
Median age	48.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 36.6%

Hispanic or Latino 29.4%

Two or more races 24.4%

Other race 5.7%

Black or African American 3.5%

Asian 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	829	36.6%
Hispanic or Latino	667	29.4%
Two or more races	554	24.4%
Other race	129	5.7%
Black or African American	79	3.5%
Asian	10	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.1%	43.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	40.3%	33.7%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	6.2%	18.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	5.4%	4.7%	7.8%

Under $10k 11.1%

$10k–$15k 3.8%

$15k–$25k 7.3%

$25k–$35k 8.3%

$35k–$50k 11.7%

$50k–$75k 23.3%

$75k–$100k 16.0%

$100k–$150k 6.6%

$150k–$200k 7.0%

$200k+ 5.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	11.1%
$10k–$15k	3.8%
$15k–$25k	7.3%
$25k–$35k	8.3%
$35k–$50k	11.7%
$50k–$75k	23.3%
$75k–$100k	16.0%
$100k–$150k	6.6%
$150k–$200k	7.0%
$200k+	5.0%
Median income	$57,610

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 19.9%

$50k–$100k 30.1%

$100k–$150k 4.7%

$150k–$200k 6.6%

$200k–$300k 21.2%

$300k–$500k 17.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$100,000
Median rent / month	$818
Owner occupied	77.8%
Renter occupied	22.2%
Vacant	22.9%
Single-family detached	61.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	32.4%
Median rooms	4.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.42

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.9%
2010–2019	9.0%
2000–2009	21.1%
1990–1999	16.4%
1980–1989	12.0%
1970–1979	11.3%
1960–1969	7.2%
1950–1959	8.0%
1940–1949	2.9%
1939 or earlier	10.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.8%
1 bedroom	11.5%
2 bedrooms	28.5%
3 bedrooms	44.6%
4 bedrooms	8.5%
5+ bedrooms	1.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.9%
1 vehicle	28.7%
2 vehicles	33.1%
3 or more	29.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.6%
Electricity	82.8%
Propane / LP gas	15.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	224	32.7%
Cohabiting couple	36	5.2%
Male householder, no spouse	164	23.9%
Female householder, no spouse	262	38.2%
Households with children under 18	138	20.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	282	41.1%
Average household size	2.33

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.5%	32.8%
Married	49.6%	34.3%
Separated	3.2%	2.7%
Widowed	3.4%	17.6%
Divorced	10.3%	12.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 21.2%

Some HS, no diploma 6.5%

HS graduate 39.3%

Some college, no degree 19.7%

Associate's degree 0.7%

Bachelor's degree 4.2%

Graduate / professional 8.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	72.3%
Bachelor's or higher	12.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	21	10.6%
Kindergarten	9	4.5%
Elementary school	109	55.1%
High school	47	23.7%
College / grad school	12	6.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Construction 18.4%

Agriculture & mining 17.5%

Manufacturing 13.4%

Education & healthcare 13.3%

Retail trade 9.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.1%

Public administration 6.4%

Finance & real estate 6.1%

Transportation & utilities 4.9%

Professional & management 2.0%

Wholesale trade 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.4%
Service	21.0%
Sales & office	19.2%
Natural resources & construction	17.3%
Production & transportation	18.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.9%
Government	17.9%
Self-employed	14.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	70.6%
Carpool	5.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	8.2%
Work from home	15.9%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.6

Poverty

All people 13.0%

Under 18 years 15.9%

18 and over 12.5%

Married-couple families 5.8%

Female-led households 16.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.6%
Retirement income	16.3%
Supplemental Security	9.2%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	18.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	41.2%
High blood pressure	37.5%
High cholesterol	36.6%
Diabetes	15.3%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	23.4%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	7.2%
Cancer	5.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.5%
Binge drinking	16.8%
No physical activity	33.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.3%
Depression	20.2%
Fair or poor health	23.1%
Poor mental health	15.3%
Poor physical health	13.4%
No health insurance	39.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.9%
Visited dentist	46.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.0%
Teeth loss	18.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	16	1.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.7%
Under 18	3.3%
18–64 years	17.8%
65 and over	43.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	55.8%
Public insurance	36.2%
No insurance	23.9%
Uninsured under 19	25.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,563	97.6%
Spanish	406	26.0%
Other Indo-European	406	26.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,300	81.2%
Born in same state	1,300	81.2%
Born in different state	1,252	78.2%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	301	18.8%
Not a US citizen	121	40.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	78	4.9%
English	39	2.4%
Arab	34	2.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	16	1%
Polish	4	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.8%
Internet access	85.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78959

What city is ZIP code 78959 in?

ZIP code 78959 is primarily assigned to Waelder, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78959 in?

ZIP code 78959 falls within Gonzales County, Texas.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 78959?

Approximately 26% of households in ZIP code 78959 speak Spanish as a primary language.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 78959?

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

Does ZIP code 78959 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 78959 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 78959?

The median home value in ZIP code 78959 is $100,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 78959 in?

ZIP code 78959 observes the CST timezone.