78543 ZIP Code — Elsa, TX

Hidalgo County, Texas

ZIP code 78543 is located in Elsa, Texas, within Hidalgo County. It covers approximately 6.36 square miles and serves a population of 8,614 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 956.

About ZIP code 78543

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 $73,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $46,624. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 24% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 37% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

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

College attainment at 8% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (20%) 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 78543 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.

8,614

population

6.36

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78543 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78543

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78543. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Elsa	Acceptable

Demographics updated 07/2026

Population
Total population	8,614
Population density	1,354 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	215

Geography
Land area	6.36 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	26.3068
Longitude	-97.9981
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	956

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 07/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.5%	56.8%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	20.6%	26.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	17.5%	14.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	1.5%	2.5%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

8,614

Population

1,354

People per sq mi

36.0

Median age

$46,624

Median household income

$21,626

Per capita income

$73,300

Median home value

$707

Median monthly rent

76.0%

Home ownership

18.4%

Poverty rate

1.9%

Unemployment

2,340

Housing units

7.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

255

Under 5

296

430

5–9

501

212

10–14

247

371

15–19

431

372

20–24

433

337

25–34

392

479

35–44

558

474

45–54

551

268

55–59

312

262

60–64

304

391

65–74

454

113

75–84

131

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,263	26.3%
18 and over	6,351	73.7%
65 and over	1,129	13.1%
Median age	36.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 36.6%

Hispanic or Latino 31.7%

Two or more races 30.7%

Other race 1%

Group	Count	%
White	4,612	36.6%
Hispanic or Latino	4,002	31.7%
Two or more races	3,871	30.7%
Other race	131	1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.5%	56.8%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	20.6%	26.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	17.5%	14.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	1.5%	2.5%	7.8%

Under $10k 2.0%

$10k–$15k 6.4%

$15k–$25k 15.7%

$25k–$35k 7.6%

$35k–$50k 24.1%

$50k–$75k 11.4%

$75k–$100k 11.2%

$100k–$150k 12.7%

$150k–$200k 5.1%

$200k+ 3.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.0%
$10k–$15k	6.4%
$15k–$25k	15.7%
$25k–$35k	7.6%
$35k–$50k	24.1%
$50k–$75k	11.4%
$75k–$100k	11.2%
$100k–$150k	12.7%
$150k–$200k	5.1%
$200k+	3.7%
Median income	$46,624

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 30.4%

$50k–$100k 46.7%

$100k–$150k 14.7%

$150k–$200k 6.4%

$200k–$300k 1.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$73,300
Median rent / month	$707
Owner occupied	76.0%
Renter occupied	24.0%
Vacant	6.7%
Single-family detached	80.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	8.1%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	3.13

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	13.4%
2000–2009	28.6%
1990–1999	12.7%
1980–1989	19.2%
1970–1979	9.3%
1960–1969	7.4%
1950–1959	5.9%
1940–1949	3.6%
1939 or earlier	0.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.2%
1 bedroom	3.8%
2 bedrooms	29.8%
3 bedrooms	48.7%
4 bedrooms	16.6%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.4%
1 vehicle	32.1%
2 vehicles	36.1%
3 or more	27.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.9%
Electricity	90.8%
Propane / LP gas	2.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,595	56.7%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	387	13.7%
Female householder, no spouse	833	29.6%
Households with children under 18	1,126	40.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	855	30.4%
Average household size	3.06

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.0%	37.8%
Married	64.0%	45.4%
Separated	1.6%	1.8%
Widowed	4.0%	4.3%
Divorced	3.4%	10.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 14.3%

Some HS, no diploma 7.3%

HS graduate 41.4%

Some college, no degree 25.3%

Associate's degree 4.0%

Bachelor's degree 4.1%

Graduate / professional 3.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	78.3%
Bachelor's or higher	7.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	53	2.0%
Kindergarten	93	3.6%
Elementary school	1,186	45.5%
High school	375	14.4%
College / grad school	900	34.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 32.5%

Retail trade 16.1%

Manufacturing 13.6%

Professional & management 11.2%

Construction 9.1%

Transportation & utilities 3.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.8%

Finance & real estate 2.7%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Other services 2.0%

Public administration 1.8%

Agriculture & mining 1.6%

Information 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	19.8%
Service	19.9%
Sales & office	25.8%
Natural resources & construction	11.7%
Production & transportation	22.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.3%
Government	25.4%
Self-employed	4.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.2%
Carpool	6.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	5.9%
Other means	8.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.4

Poverty

All people 18.4%

Under 18 years 24.8%

18 and over 16.2%

Married-couple families 21.1%

Female-led households 3.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.5%
Retirement income	12.1%
Supplemental Security	13.5%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	23.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	43.1%
High blood pressure	35.3%
High cholesterol	32.9%
Diabetes	19.6%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	19.3%
Kidney disease	4.1%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	4.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.0%
Binge drinking	17.2%
No physical activity	35.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.9%
Depression	20.4%
Fair or poor health	30.1%
Poor mental health	16.3%
Poor physical health	15.6%
No health insurance	52.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.9%
Visited dentist	47.6%
Cholesterol screening	84.9%
Teeth loss	17.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	164	2.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.8%
Under 18	10.6%
18–64 years	9.6%
65 and over	62.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	40.7%
Public insurance	36.5%
No insurance	24.1%
Uninsured under 19	17.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	8,063	93.6%
Spanish	1,793	22.2%
Other Indo-European	1,793	22.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,466	86.7%
Born in same state	7,338	85.2%
Born in different state	6,636	77.0%
Foreign born	128	1.5%
Naturalized citizen	1,148	13.3%
Not a US citizen	367	32.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	29	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	4	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	32.7%
Internet access	83.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78543

What city is ZIP code 78543 in?

ZIP code 78543 is primarily assigned to Elsa, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78543 in?

ZIP code 78543 falls within Hidalgo County, Texas.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 78543?

8% 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 78543?

Approximately 22% of households in ZIP code 78543 speak Spanish as a primary language.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78543?

18% of residents in ZIP code 78543 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 78543 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 78543 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 78543 in?

ZIP code 78543 observes the CST timezone.