78552 ZIP Code — Harlingen, TX

Cameron County, Texas

ZIP code 78552 is located in Harlingen, Texas, within Cameron County. It covers approximately 48.04 square miles and serves a population of 40,824 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 956.

About ZIP code 78552

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 $134,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $62,235. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 21% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

Overall, ZIP code 78552 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

40,824

population

48.04

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78552 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78552

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78552. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Harlingen	Acceptable
Harlingen	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78559 La Feria (3.5 mi) 78593 Santa Rosa (5.8 mi) 78550 Harlingen (6.7 mi) 78570 Mercedes (9.5 mi) 78586 San Benito (10.3 mi) 78599 Weslaco (14 mi) 78538 Edcouch (14.5 mi) 78596 Weslaco (15.1 mi) 78569 Lyford (15.6 mi) 78575 Olmito (17.7 mi) 78537 Donna (19.5 mi)

Demographics updated 07/2026

Population
Total population	40,824
Population density	850 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	061

Geography
Land area	48.04 sq mi
Water area	0.39 sq mi
Latitude	26.1888
Longitude	-97.7678
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	48.3%	57.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	34.6%	28.1%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	12.8%	12.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	4.4%	2.3%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

40,824

Population

850

People per sq mi

34.2

Median age

$62,235

Median household income

$28,011

Per capita income

$134,500

Median home value

$978

Median monthly rent

77.0%

Home ownership

19.9%

Poverty rate

4.9%

Unemployment

12,934

Housing units

21.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,736

Under 5

1,762

1,919

5–9

1,948

1,524

10–14

1,547

1,255

15–19

1,274

1,133

20–24

1,150

2,788

25–34

2,830

2,183

35–44

2,216

2,098

45–54

2,130

1,213

55–59

1,231

1,136

60–64

1,154

1,799

65–74

1,826

1,112

75–84

1,129

363

85+

368

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	12,071	29.6%
18 and over	28,753	70.4%
65 and over	6,597	16.2%
Median age	34.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 58.6%

Hispanic or Latino 19.2%

Two or more races 15%

Other race 4.6%

Asian 1.5%

Black or African American 0.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	29,607	58.6%
Hispanic or Latino	9,694	19.2%
Two or more races	7,595	15%
Other race	2,304	4.6%
Asian	782	1.5%
Black or African American	465	0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	50	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.3%	57.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	34.6%	28.1%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	12.8%	12.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	4.4%	2.3%	7.8%

Under $10k 4.8%

$10k–$15k 5.0%

$15k–$25k 10.0%

$25k–$35k 9.0%

$35k–$50k 11.3%

$50k–$75k 19.7%

$75k–$100k 15.9%

$100k–$150k 12.7%

$150k–$200k 5.2%

$200k+ 6.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.8%
$10k–$15k	5.0%
$15k–$25k	10.0%
$25k–$35k	9.0%
$35k–$50k	11.3%
$50k–$75k	19.7%
$75k–$100k	15.9%
$100k–$150k	12.7%
$150k–$200k	5.2%
$200k+	6.4%
Median income	$62,235

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 18.9%

$50k–$100k 19.9%

$100k–$150k 16.6%

$150k–$200k 14.1%

$200k–$300k 18.3%

$300k–$500k 9.9%

$500k–$1M 2.2%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$134,500
Median rent / month	$978
Owner occupied	77.0%
Renter occupied	23.0%
Vacant	15.0%
Single-family detached	67.5%
Large apartment buildings	1.9%
Mobile homes	21.7%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.95

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	13.5%
2000–2009	27.4%
1990–1999	18.3%
1980–1989	18.2%
1970–1979	14.1%
1960–1969	2.1%
1950–1959	2.2%
1940–1949	1.9%
1939 or earlier	2.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.3%
1 bedroom	7.9%
2 bedrooms	27.1%
3 bedrooms	46.4%
4 bedrooms	15.1%
5+ bedrooms	2.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.3%
1 vehicle	33.9%
2 vehicles	38.0%
3 or more	23.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.6%
Electricity	90.1%
Propane / LP gas	4.4%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	7,156	52.3%
Cohabiting couple	943	6.9%
Male householder, no spouse	1,998	14.6%
Female householder, no spouse	3,575	26.1%
Households with children under 18	5,147	37.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,537	33.2%
Average household size	2.97

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	34.5%	29.3%
Married	53.9%	49.1%
Separated	1.6%	2.7%
Widowed	2.4%	9.1%
Divorced	7.6%	9.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 10.1%

Some HS, no diploma 8.1%

HS graduate 28.0%

Some college, no degree 21.7%

Associate's degree 10.8%

Bachelor's degree 13.6%

Graduate / professional 7.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.8%
Bachelor's or higher	21.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	765	7.0%
Kindergarten	1,018	9.3%
Elementary school	5,556	50.9%
High school	2,046	18.7%
College / grad school	1,539	14.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 33.5%

Retail trade 11.0%

Professional & management 9.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.7%

Other services 6.1%

Finance & real estate 6.0%

Public administration 5.8%

Construction 5.2%

Agriculture & mining 3.9%

Transportation & utilities 3.9%

Manufacturing 3.8%

Wholesale trade 2.1%

Information 1.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.5%
Service	24.9%
Sales & office	23.2%
Natural resources & construction	7.6%
Production & transportation	8.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.6%
Government	19.1%
Self-employed	9.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.6%
Carpool	7.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	9.8%
Other means	0.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.7

Poverty

All people 19.9%

Under 18 years 32.6%

18 and over 14.6%

Married-couple families 9.1%

Female-led households 31.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.1%
Retirement income	20.4%
Supplemental Security	6.0%
Cash public assistance	2.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	15.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.8%
High blood pressure	36.1%
High cholesterol	36.8%
Diabetes	16.5%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	8.4%
Arthritis	21.8%
Kidney disease	4.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.4%
Cancer	6.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.7%
Binge drinking	16.0%
No physical activity	30.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.2%
Depression	19.7%
Fair or poor health	25.8%
Poor mental health	15.0%
Poor physical health	14.9%
No health insurance	43.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.0%
Visited dentist	51.5%
Cholesterol screening	88.5%
Teeth loss	16.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,379	8.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.3%
Under 18	6.3%
18–64 years	11.0%
65 and over	39.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.4%
Public insurance	37.8%
No insurance	17.4%
Uninsured under 19	13.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	37,326	91.4%
Spanish	4,625	12.4%
Other Indo-European	4,376	11.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	40	0.1%
Other languages	209	0.6%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	34,952	85.6%
Born in same state	34,535	84.6%
Born in different state	29,533	72.3%
Foreign born	417	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	5,872	14.4%
Not a US citizen	2,709	46.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,337	3.3%
Italian	955	2.3%
Arab	915	2.2%
Polish	105	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	67	0.2%
German	63	0.2%
Dutch	28	0.1%
Irish	21	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	33.5%
Internet access	90.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78552

What city is ZIP code 78552 in?

ZIP code 78552 is primarily assigned to Harlingen, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78552 in?

ZIP code 78552 falls within Cameron County, Texas.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78552?

20% of residents in ZIP code 78552 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 78552?

The median home value in ZIP code 78552 is $134,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 78552?

ZIP code 78552 has an estimated population of 40,824 residents, with a density of 850 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 78552?

The median household income in ZIP code 78552 is $62,235, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 78552 in?

ZIP code 78552 observes the CST timezone.