77488 ZIP Code — Wharton, TX

Wharton County, Texas

ZIP code 77488 is located in Wharton, Texas, within Wharton County. It covers approximately 224.98 square miles and serves a population of 14,205 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 979.

About ZIP code 77488

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $161,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 61%.

Median household income is $53,167. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. 39% 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 24 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (16%), smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks. 24% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 77488 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

14,205

population

224.98

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

77488 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 77488

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 77488. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wharton	Acceptable
Wharton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

77437 El Campo (6.6 mi) 77420 Boling (13 mi) 77435 East Bernard (14.9 mi) 77435 East Bernard (14.9 mi) 77417 Beasley (16.5 mi) 77417 Beasley (16.5 mi) 77468 Pledger (16.6 mi) 77482 Van Vleck (18.8 mi) 77455 Louise (19.3 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	14,205
Population density	63 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	481

Geography
Land area	224.98 sq mi
Water area	2.46 sq mi
Latitude	29.2673
Longitude	-96.1480
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	979

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.1%	49.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	27.9%	27.3%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	17.6%	21.1%	22.6%
Over $200k	2.4%	2.5%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

14,205

Population

People per sq mi

40.6

Median age

$53,167

Median household income

$26,920

Per capita income

$161,900

Median home value

$788

Median monthly rent

61.3%

Home ownership

17.6%

Poverty rate

4.8%

Unemployment

4,300

Housing units

15.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

420

Under 5

434

338

5–9

349

481

10–14

498

532

15–19

550

482

20–24

498

758

25–34

784

870

35–44

899

740

45–54

765

506

55–59

523

513

60–64

530

705

65–74

729

431

75–84

446

208

85+

216

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,025	21.3%
18 and over	11,180	78.7%
65 and over	2,735	19.3%
Median age	40.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 52.2%

Black or African American 18.8%

Hispanic or Latino 13.1%

Two or more races 10.2%

Other race 4.7%

Asian 1.1%

Group	Count	%
White	8,533	52.2%
Black or African American	3,066	18.8%
Hispanic or Latino	2,133	13.1%
Two or more races	1,667	10.2%
Other race	767	4.7%
Asian	172	1.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.1%	49.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	27.9%	27.3%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	17.6%	21.1%	22.6%
Over $200k	2.4%	2.5%	7.8%

Under $10k 7.9%

$10k–$15k 7.1%

$15k–$25k 8.3%

$25k–$35k 12.3%

$35k–$50k 12.4%

$50k–$75k 19.2%

$75k–$100k 11.4%

$100k–$150k 9.1%

$150k–$200k 5.5%

$200k+ 6.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.9%
$10k–$15k	7.1%
$15k–$25k	8.3%
$25k–$35k	12.3%
$35k–$50k	12.4%
$50k–$75k	19.2%
$75k–$100k	11.4%
$100k–$150k	9.1%
$150k–$200k	5.5%
$200k+	6.8%
Median income	$53,167

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.1%

$50k–$100k 20.8%

$100k–$150k 11.4%

$150k–$200k 22.6%

$200k–$300k 18.3%

$300k–$500k 11.3%

$500k–$1M 1.6%

$1M+ 1.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$161,900
Median rent / month	$788
Owner occupied	61.3%
Renter occupied	38.7%
Vacant	15.6%
Single-family detached	63.6%
Large apartment buildings	7.1%
Mobile homes	8.6%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.94

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	9.1%
2000–2009	8.7%
1990–1999	16.9%
1980–1989	10.6%
1970–1979	22.9%
1960–1969	12.3%
1950–1959	10.2%
1940–1949	5.1%
1939 or earlier	4.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.8%
1 bedroom	17.3%
2 bedrooms	22.1%
3 bedrooms	43.1%
4 bedrooms	12.2%
5+ bedrooms	1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.7%
1 vehicle	28.8%
2 vehicles	34.2%
3 or more	26.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	20.9%
Electricity	67.4%
Propane / LP gas	11.2%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,524	46.8%
Cohabiting couple	52	1.0%
Male householder, no spouse	1,245	23.1%
Female householder, no spouse	1,569	29.1%
Households with children under 18	1,486	27.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,020	37.5%
Average household size	2.56

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.6%	32.3%
Married	48.7%	45.5%
Separated	0.9%	0.5%
Widowed	4.8%	9.9%
Divorced	9.0%	11.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.8%

Some HS, no diploma 12.6%

HS graduate 30.4%

Some college, no degree 26.7%

Associate's degree 9.5%

Bachelor's degree 9.8%

Graduate / professional 5.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.6%
Bachelor's or higher	15.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	56	1.9%
Kindergarten	198	6.6%
Elementary school	1,129	37.8%
High school	701	23.5%
College / grad school	900	30.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.0%

Manufacturing 13.8%

Retail trade 13.2%

Construction 10.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.9%

Other services 6.6%

Agriculture & mining 6.3%

Transportation & utilities 5.6%

Public administration 4.4%

Finance & real estate 3.7%

Professional & management 3.5%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	22.0%
Service	23.7%
Sales & office	21.3%
Natural resources & construction	12.3%
Production & transportation	20.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.9%
Government	15.5%
Self-employed	7.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.8%
Carpool	10.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.3%
Work from home	3.5%
Other means	3.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.5

Poverty

All people 17.6%

Under 18 years 25.2%

18 and over 15.5%

Married-couple families 7.4%

Female-led households 25.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.0%
Retirement income	22.7%
Supplemental Security	8.0%
Cash public assistance	7.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.2%
High blood pressure	42.5%
High cholesterol	35.5%
Diabetes	16.2%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	26.3%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	8.7%
Cancer	6.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.8%
Binge drinking	15.9%
No physical activity	32.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.1%
Depression	21.9%
Fair or poor health	24.2%
Poor mental health	16.5%
Poor physical health	14.5%
No health insurance	32.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.5%
Visited dentist	47.5%
Cholesterol screening	88.2%
Teeth loss	20.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	855	7.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.1%
Under 18	2.0%
18–64 years	11.8%
65 and over	45.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.9%
Public insurance	36.8%
No insurance	23.6%
Uninsured under 19	23.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	13,351	94.0%
Spanish	1,040	7.8%
Other Indo-European	1,005	7.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	14	0.1%
Other languages	21	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	12,893	90.8%
Born in same state	12,789	90.0%
Born in different state	11,326	79.7%
Foreign born	104	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	1,312	9.2%
Not a US citizen	404	30.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	671	4.7%
French	610	4.3%
Arab	234	1.6%
Polish	23	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	18	0.1%
Norwegian	18	0.1%
German	9	0.1%
Dutch	3	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.9%
Internet access	84.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 77488

What city is ZIP code 77488 in?

ZIP code 77488 is primarily assigned to Wharton, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 77488 in?

ZIP code 77488 falls within Wharton County, Texas.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 77488?

18% of residents in ZIP code 77488 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 77488 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 77488 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 77488?

Health data for ZIP code 77488 shows elevated rates of diabetes (16%) and smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 77488?

The median home value in ZIP code 77488 is $161,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 77488 in?

ZIP code 77488 observes the CST timezone.