78596 ZIP Code — Weslaco, TX

Hidalgo County, Texas

ZIP code 78596 is located in Weslaco, Texas, within Hidalgo County. It covers approximately 40.11 square miles and serves a population of 36,545 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 956.

About ZIP code 78596

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $88,200. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.

Median household income is $53,097. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 28% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 31% 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 26 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (18%) compared to national benchmarks. 26% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

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

Overall, ZIP code 78596 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

36,545

population

40.11

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78596 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78596

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78596. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Weslaco	Acceptable
Weslaco	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78599 Weslaco (1.2 mi) 78537 Donna (4.6 mi) 78570 Mercedes (6.1 mi) 78516 Alamo (7.4 mi) 78589 San Juan (9.3 mi) 78538 Edcouch (11.3 mi) 78559 La Feria (11.8 mi) 78539 Edinburg (12.2 mi) 78577 Pharr (12.5 mi) 78593 Santa Rosa (12.9 mi) 78501 Mcallen (15 mi) 78503 Mcallen (15 mi)

Demographics updated 07/2026

Population
Total population	36,545
Population density	911 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	215

Geography
Land area	40.11 sq mi
Water area	0.76 sq mi
Latitude	26.1509
Longitude	-98.0084
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	52.7%	56.8%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	30.1%	26.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	15.2%	14.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.5%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

36,545

Population

911

People per sq mi

32.8

Median age

$53,097

Median household income

$21,779

Per capita income

$88,200

Median home value

$883

Median monthly rent

65.4%

Home ownership

21.7%

Poverty rate

6.5%

Unemployment

11,480

Housing units

21.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,120

Under 5

1,145

1,595

5–9

1,629

1,621

10–14

1,655

1,569

15–19

1,602

1,176

20–24

1,201

2,318

25–34

2,368

2,064

35–44

2,108

2,232

45–54

2,280

747

55–59

764

824

60–64

842

1,413

65–74

1,444

1,064

75–84

1,087

335

85+

342

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	10,909	29.9%
18 and over	25,636	70.1%
65 and over	5,685	15.6%
Median age	32.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 37.3%

Hispanic or Latino 30.5%

Two or more races 23.4%

Other race 7.2%

Black or African American 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	19,607	37.3%
Hispanic or Latino	16,063	30.5%
Two or more races	12,307	23.4%
Other race	3,806	7.2%
Black or African American	406	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	365	0.7%
Asian	54	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.7%	56.8%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	30.1%	26.0%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	15.2%	14.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.5%	7.8%

Under $10k 9.7%

$10k–$15k 6.6%

$15k–$25k 11.8%

$25k–$35k 9.2%

$35k–$50k 10.8%

$50k–$75k 16.9%

$75k–$100k 13.3%

$100k–$150k 15.3%

$150k–$200k 4.5%

$200k+ 1.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.7%
$10k–$15k	6.6%
$15k–$25k	11.8%
$25k–$35k	9.2%
$35k–$50k	10.8%
$50k–$75k	16.9%
$75k–$100k	13.3%
$100k–$150k	15.3%
$150k–$200k	4.5%
$200k+	1.8%
Median income	$53,097

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 30.4%

$50k–$100k 25.9%

$100k–$150k 14.9%

$150k–$200k 13.2%

$200k–$300k 9.7%

$300k–$500k 4.7%

$500k–$1M 1.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$88,200
Median rent / month	$883
Owner occupied	65.4%
Renter occupied	34.6%
Vacant	25.6%
Single-family detached	55.2%
Large apartment buildings	5.8%
Mobile homes	25.5%
Median rooms	4.7
Avg household size (owned)	3.30

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	13.0%
2000–2009	20.7%
1990–1999	14.9%
1980–1989	23.0%
1970–1979	14.7%
1960–1969	5.2%
1950–1959	3.7%
1940–1949	2.2%
1939 or earlier	1.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.0%
1 bedroom	12.6%
2 bedrooms	34.7%
3 bedrooms	37.2%
4 bedrooms	10.2%
5+ bedrooms	3.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.4%
1 vehicle	31.3%
2 vehicles	35.3%
3 or more	23.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	7.9%
Electricity	88.0%
Propane / LP gas	3.2%
Solar	0.3%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,060	52.7%
Cohabiting couple	566	4.9%
Male householder, no spouse	1,554	13.5%
Female householder, no spouse	3,317	28.9%
Households with children under 18	4,778	41.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,869	33.7%
Average household size	3.15

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.2%	32.3%
Married	53.3%	44.3%
Separated	2.0%	3.9%
Widowed	3.5%	9.2%
Divorced	6.0%	10.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 15.3%

Some HS, no diploma 11.2%

HS graduate 23.8%

Some college, no degree 21.9%

Associate's degree 6.2%

Bachelor's degree 15.4%

Graduate / professional 6.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	73.5%
Bachelor's or higher	21.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	562	5.0%
Kindergarten	555	5.0%
Elementary school	5,333	47.8%
High school	2,916	26.2%
College / grad school	1,782	16.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.5%

Retail trade 12.4%

Other services 7.8%

Construction 7.3%

Manufacturing 5.8%

Professional & management 5.1%

Transportation & utilities 4.4%

Finance & real estate 4.1%

Public administration 3.6%

Agriculture & mining 2.4%

Information 1.5%

Wholesale trade 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.7%
Service	26.3%
Sales & office	17.8%
Natural resources & construction	12.6%
Production & transportation	9.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.7%
Government	18.5%
Self-employed	7.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.9%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.9%
Carpool	7.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.5%
Work from home	7.9%
Other means	7.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.1

Poverty

All people 21.7%

Under 18 years 27.2%

18 and over 19.3%

Married-couple families 14.3%

Female-led households 41.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.7%
Retirement income	19.8%
Supplemental Security	7.9%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	28.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.7%
High blood pressure	34.4%
High cholesterol	32.6%
Diabetes	17.6%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	8.7%
Arthritis	19.4%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.5%
Cancer	4.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.7%
Binge drinking	17.5%
No physical activity	31.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.9%
Depression	20.2%
Fair or poor health	26.8%
Poor mental health	15.7%
Poor physical health	14.4%
No health insurance	48.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	69.1%
Visited dentist	51.7%
Cholesterol screening	85.6%
Teeth loss	17.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,446	5.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.9%
Under 18	5.4%
18–64 years	12.2%
65 and over	43.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	45.1%
Public insurance	36.9%
No insurance	26.3%
Uninsured under 19	17.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	34,280	93.8%
Spanish	8,874	25.9%
Other Indo-European	8,870	25.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	4	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	30,053	82.2%
Born in same state	29,550	80.9%
Born in different state	25,271	69.2%
Foreign born	503	1.4%
Naturalized citizen	6,492	17.8%
Not a US citizen	2,256	34.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,838	5%
French	849	2.3%
Italian	531	1.5%
Polish	156	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	70	0.2%
Dutch	26	0.1%
German	15	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	31.5%
Internet access	91.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78596

What city is ZIP code 78596 in?

ZIP code 78596 is primarily assigned to Weslaco, Texas.

What county is ZIP code 78596 in?

ZIP code 78596 falls within Hidalgo County, Texas.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 78596?

Approximately 26% of households in ZIP code 78596 speak Spanish as a primary language.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78596?

22% of residents in ZIP code 78596 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 78596?

The median home value in ZIP code 78596 is $88,200.

What is the population of ZIP code 78596?

ZIP code 78596 has an estimated population of 36,545 residents, with a density of 911 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 78596 in?

ZIP code 78596 observes the CST timezone.