78242 ZIP Code, San Antonio, TX
78242 is a ZIP code in San Antonio, Texas in Bexar County. It covers 7.9 square miles of land, centered about 8.5 miles southwest of downtown San Antonio. The closest ZIP codes are 78243, 78211 and 78236. 36,168 people live here in 10,703 households. At about 4,570 people per square mile it is built up to city-neighborhood density, and owners and renters are mixed (54% own). Median household income is $50,644, well below the Texas median of $78,476; 47% of households have children under 18.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: San Antonio, TX
- County: Bexar County
- Metro area: San Antonio
- Land area: 7.9 sq mi
- Population: 36,168
- Median household income: $50,644
- Carrier routes: 10 (11,926 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 36,168 |
| Households | 10,703 |
| Median household income | $50,644 |
| Income per person | $19,020 |
| Median age | 29.7 |
| Homeowners | 53.6% |
| Median home value | $148,200 |
| Median rent | $1,270 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.3% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.1 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 47.3% |
| Moved in the past year | 14.1% |
| Below the poverty line | 23.3% |
| Broadband internet | 84.6% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 56.1% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 7.3% |
| $10–15K | 7.0% |
| $15–25K | 8.5% |
| $25–35K | 11.6% |
| $35–50K | 14.7% |
| $50–75K | 20.9% |
| $75–100K | 13.0% |
| $100–150K | 12.5% |
| $150–200K | 2.9% |
| $200K+ | 1.5% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 18.7% |
| 10–19 | 18.3% |
| 20–24 | 7.3% |
| 25–34 | 14.9% |
| 35–44 | 13.7% |
| 45–54 | 9.3% |
| 55–64 | 7.3% |
| 65–74 | 6.5% |
| 75+ | 3.9% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 25.0% |
| Owned outright | 25.5% |
| Rented | 43.1% |
| Vacant | 6.4% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 70.9% |
| Townhome | 3.0% |
| 2–4 units | 7.5% |
| 5–19 units | 10.4% |
| 20+ units | 2.0% |
| Mobile / other | 6.3% |
Businesses in 78242
119 business establishments with 1,572 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Retail Trade: 32
- Accommodation and Food Services: 26
- Construction: 17
- Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 6
- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 6
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 6
- Transportation and Warehousing: 5
- Finance and Insurance: 5
EDDM carrier routes
78242 has 10 USPS carrier routes with 11,926 residential and 219 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 78242
78242 has 10 USPS carrier routes (10 city (C)) with 11,926 residential and 219 business mailboxes. Routes range from 382 homes (C082) to 1,837 homes (C079); the median route has 1,149 homes. The Census counted 10,703 households in 78242 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 0 |
| 250–499 | 1 |
| 500–749 | 0 |
| 750–999 | 2 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 5 |
| 1,500+ | 2 |
Best routes in 78242 for…
Highest income
For bigger-ticket offers: remodeling, pools, financial planning, private schools.
- Route C074 — Est. median household income $73,049, 954 homes
- Route C082 — Est. median household income $62,174, 382 homes
- Route C079 — Est. median household income $57,955, 1,837 homes
- Route C071 — Est. median household income $54,968, 1,092 homes
- Route C081 — Est. median household income $54,574, 1,379 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Often mailed by: Home services EDDM, Real estate EDDM postcards, Landscaping and lawn care mailers
Most families with kids
For tutoring, youth sports, pediatric dental, child care and family dining.
- Route C080 — Est. families with children under 18 55.5%, 1,206 homes
- Route C082 — Est. families with children under 18 52.3%, 382 homes
- Route C076 — Est. families with children under 18 51.8%, 1,061 homes
- Route C081 — Est. families with children under 18 47.6%, 1,379 homes
- Route C075 — Est. families with children under 18 45.6%, 972 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Often mailed by: Dental practice EDDM, Healthcare and clinic mailers
Most homeowners
Owners decide on roofs, HVAC, lawns, solar and insurance; renters usually can't.
- Route C074 — Est. owner-occupied homes 87.0%, 954 homes
- Route C082 — Est. owner-occupied homes 68.1%, 382 homes
- Route C080 — Est. owner-occupied homes 67.1%, 1,206 homes
- Route C076 — Est. owner-occupied homes 62.9%, 1,061 homes
- Route C081 — Est. owner-occupied homes 60.6%, 1,379 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Often mailed by: Roofing direct mail, HVAC postcards
Most new movers
New residents are still choosing a dentist, a gym and a lawn service.
- Route C072 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 31.8%, 1,773 homes
- Route C071 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 27.6%, 1,092 homes
- Route C075 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 24.1%, 972 homes
- Route C078 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 9.7%, 1,270 homes
- Route C079 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 9.4%, 1,837 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Often mailed by: Restaurant EDDM menus and offers, Gym and fitness mailers
Newest homes
Newer subdivisions: landscaping, window treatments, fencing, security, home warranties.
- Route C076 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 40.1%, 1,061 homes
- Route C082 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 40.0%, 382 homes
- Route C074 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 37.0%, 954 homes
- Route C079 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 25.0%, 1,837 homes
- Route C071 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 18.0%, 1,092 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route C076 — USPS business mailboxes 58, 1,061 homes
- Route C072 — USPS business mailboxes 55, 1,773 homes
- Route C081 — USPS business mailboxes 48, 1,379 homes
- Route C079 — USPS business mailboxes 38, 1,837 homes
- Route C075 — USPS business mailboxes 10, 972 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 78242
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C071 | City | 1,092 | 3 | $54,968 | 45.6% | 30.6% | 27.6% |
| C072 | City | 1,773 | 55 | $45,356 | 33.1% | 41.2% | 31.8% |
| C074 | City | 954 | 2 | $73,049 | 87.0% | 37.7% | 5.1% |
| C075 | City | 972 | 10 | $49,395 | 43.4% | 45.6% | 24.1% |
| C076 | City | 1,061 | 58 | $47,894 | 62.9% | 51.8% | 9.0% |
| C078 | City | 1,270 | 3 | $53,072 | 59.9% | 42.3% | 9.7% |
| C079 | City | 1,837 | 38 | $57,955 | 56.9% | 43.7% | 9.4% |
| C080 | City | 1,206 | 1 | $49,196 | 67.1% | 55.5% | 7.4% |
| C081 | City | 1,379 | 48 | $54,574 | 60.6% | 47.6% | 9.1% |
| C082 | City | 382 | 1 | $62,174 | 68.1% | 52.3% | 6.2% |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 78242 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 78243 — San Antonio city, TX (1.7 mi)
- 78211 — San Antonio city, TX (2.3 mi)
- 78236 — Lackland AFB CDP, TX (2.6 mi)
- 78226 — San Antonio city, TX (3.2 mi)
- 78227 — San Antonio city, TX (3.4 mi)
- 78224 — San Antonio city, TX (4.6 mi)
- 78252 — San Antonio city, TX (5.1 mi)
- 78225 — San Antonio city, TX (5.5 mi)
Areas that include 78242
- San Antonio, TX ZIP codes — 64 ZIP codes
- Bexar County ZIP codes — 76 ZIP codes
- San Antonio ZIP code map — 121 ZIP codes
- Texas ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 5 of 104: highest share of households with children in the San Antonio area
- No. 6 of 104: lowest median age in the San Antonio area
- No. 5 of 74: highest share of households with children in Bexar County
- No. 6 of 74: lowest median age in Bexar County
- No. 4 of 63: highest share of households with children in San Antonio, TX
- No. 5 of 63: lowest median age in San Antonio, TX
Mail every home in 78242
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
San Antonio EDDM mailing
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 78242, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 78242 in?
- 78242 is a San Antonio, TX mailing address. By land area, 100% lies inside San Antonio.
- What county is 78242 in?
- 78242 is in Bexar County.
- What is the population of 78242?
- About 36,168 people (±2,540), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 33,294.
- What is the median household income in 78242?
- $50,644 (±$3,884), compared with $78,476 for Texas as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 78242?
- 10 USPS carrier routes with 11,926 residential and 219 business mailboxes (12,145 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 78242?
- The closest, measured center to center: 78243 (1.7 mi, San Antonio), 78211 (2.3 mi, San Antonio), 78236 (2.6 mi, Lackland AFB), 78226 (3.2 mi, San Antonio), 78227 (3.4 mi, San Antonio) and 78224 (4.6 mi, San Antonio).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.