78576 ZIP Code — Penitas, TX

Hidalgo County, Texas

ZIP code 78576 is located in Penitas, Texas, within Hidalgo County. It covers approximately 58.20 square miles and serves a population of 13,466 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 956.

About ZIP code 78576

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 $98,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $39,956. Poverty affects 47% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 34% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 5% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (46%), diabetes (17%), smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks. 40% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 28% of households.

Overall, ZIP code 78576 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

13,466

population

58.20

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78576 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78576

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78576. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Penitas	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78572 Mission (2 mi) 78560 La Joya (4 mi) 78595 Sullivan City (7 mi) 78574 Mission (8.5 mi) 78573 Mission (9.4 mi) 78504 Mcallen (12.9 mi) 78501 Mcallen (13.6 mi) 78503 Mcallen (15.1 mi) 78557 Hidalgo (16.5 mi) 78577 Pharr (17.1 mi) 78539 Edinburg (18.7 mi) 78589 San Juan (19.7 mi)

Demographics updated 07/2026

Population
Total population	13,466
Population density	231 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	215

Geography
Land area	58.20 sq mi
Water area	0.35 sq mi
Latitude	26.2794
Longitude	-98.4468
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	73.5%	56.8%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	20.1%	26.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	6.2%	14.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	0.2%	2.5%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

13,466

Population

231

People per sq mi

19.6

Median age

$39,956

Median household income

$14,892

Per capita income

$98,900

Median home value

$703

Median monthly rent

80.2%

Home ownership

46.8%

Poverty rate

4.5%

Unemployment

2,805

Housing units

5.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

588

Under 5

665

639

5–9

723

1,027

10–14

1,164

945

15–19

1,070

462

20–24

524

543

25–34

615

756

35–44

856

816

45–54

925

106

55–59

120

156

60–64

176

158

65–74

180

75–84

112

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,014	44.7%
18 and over	7,452	55.3%
65 and over	590	4.4%
Median age	19.6 years

Race & ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 36.6%

Two or more races 34.7%

White 26.7%

Other race 2%

Black or African American 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Hispanic or Latino	7,761	36.6%
Two or more races	7,360	34.7%
White	5,663	26.7%
Other race	415	2%
Black or African American	28	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	73.5%	56.8%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	20.1%	26.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	6.2%	14.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	0.2%	2.5%	7.8%

Under $10k 10.0%

$10k–$15k 9.2%

$15k–$25k 16.6%

$25k–$35k 12.0%

$35k–$50k 9.1%

$50k–$75k 13.9%

$75k–$100k 15.3%

$100k–$150k 9.1%

$150k–$200k 1.4%

$200k+ 3.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.0%
$10k–$15k	9.2%
$15k–$25k	16.6%
$25k–$35k	12.0%
$35k–$50k	9.1%
$50k–$75k	13.9%
$75k–$100k	15.3%
$100k–$150k	9.1%
$150k–$200k	1.4%
$200k+	3.4%
Median income	$39,956

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 21.9%

$50k–$100k 29.7%

$100k–$150k 7.9%

$150k–$200k 18.2%

$200k–$300k 21.7%

$300k–$500k 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$98,900
Median rent / month	$703
Owner occupied	80.2%
Renter occupied	19.8%
Vacant	10.1%
Single-family detached	64.1%
Large apartment buildings	3.0%
Mobile homes	24.0%
Median rooms	4.8
Avg household size (owned)	4.40

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	16.6%
2000–2009	49.1%
1990–1999	20.2%
1980–1989	8.4%
1970–1979	4.0%
1960–1969	1.4%
1950–1959	0.0%
1940–1949	0.4%
1939 or earlier	0.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	8.5%
2 bedrooms	30.5%
3 bedrooms	38.3%
4 bedrooms	20.4%
5+ bedrooms	1.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.2%
1 vehicle	26.0%
2 vehicles	31.2%
3 or more	39.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.7%
Electricity	95.4%
Fuel oil	0.4%
No fuel used	1.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,832	59.7%
Cohabiting couple	184	6.0%
Male householder, no spouse	224	7.3%
Female householder, no spouse	828	27.0%
Households with children under 18	2,376	77.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	365	11.9%
Average household size	4.39

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	43.1%	43.3%
Married	51.1%	42.6%
Separated	0.0%	5.5%
Widowed	0.7%	5.6%
Divorced	5.0%	2.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 14.8%

Some HS, no diploma 31.3%

HS graduate 36.6%

Some college, no degree 9.0%

Associate's degree 3.1%

Bachelor's degree 3.6%

Graduate / professional 1.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	53.9%
Bachelor's or higher	5.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	139	2.3%
Kindergarten	274	4.6%
Elementary school	2,947	49.6%
High school	2,032	34.2%
College / grad school	546	9.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.8%

Construction 17.3%

Transportation & utilities 17.3%

Retail trade 15.4%

Manufacturing 8.3%

Professional & management 7.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.2%

Wholesale trade 5.0%

Other services 2.3%

Public administration 2.1%

Agriculture & mining 0.8%

Finance & real estate 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	9.8%
Service	24.2%
Sales & office	23.9%
Natural resources & construction	21.7%
Production & transportation	20.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.1%
Government	15.0%
Self-employed	13.6%
Unpaid family workers	2.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.4%
Carpool	9.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	7.5%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.4

Poverty

All people 46.8%

Under 18 years 60.3%

18 and over 36.0%

Married-couple families 23.5%

Female-led households 80.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	13.7%
Retirement income	7.5%
Supplemental Security	6.5%
Cash public assistance	0.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	33.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	45.9%
High blood pressure	31.6%
High cholesterol	28.1%
Diabetes	17.1%
Heart disease	5.5%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	15.6%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	2.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.7%
Binge drinking	18.5%
No physical activity	39.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.4%
Depression	23.1%
Fair or poor health	34.3%
Poor mental health	19.6%
Poor physical health	16.9%
No health insurance	59.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	65.1%
Visited dentist	38.4%
Cholesterol screening	78.2%
Teeth loss	20.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	28	0.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.0%
Under 18	14.2%
18–64 years	9.0%
65 and over	46.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	19.6%
Public insurance	41.0%
No insurance	39.8%
Uninsured under 19	20.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	12,213	90.7%
Spanish	3,387	27.7%
Other Indo-European	3,387	27.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	9,606	71.3%
Born in same state	9,585	71.2%
Born in different state	9,108	67.6%
Foreign born	21	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	3,860	28.7%
Not a US citizen	904	23.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	175	1.3%
Italian	12	0.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	12	0.1%
French	12	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	22.8%
Internet access	95.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78576

What city is ZIP code 78576 in?

ZIP code 78576 is primarily assigned to Penitas, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78576 in?

ZIP code 78576 falls within Hidalgo County, Texas.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78576?

47% of residents in ZIP code 78576 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 78576 family-oriented?

45% of residents in ZIP code 78576 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 78576?

5% 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 78576?

Approximately 28% of households in ZIP code 78576 speak Spanish as a primary language.

What timezone is ZIP code 78576 in?

ZIP code 78576 observes the CST timezone.