78521 ZIP Code, Brownsville, TX

78521 is a ZIP code in Brownsville, Texas in Cameron County. It covers 94 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 78578, 78526 and 78566. 87,380 people live here in 27,731 households, which puts it among the most populous 1% of Texas ZIP codes. With about 933 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and owners and renters are mixed (60% own). Median household income is $44,509, well below the Texas median of $78,476; 41% of households have children under 18.

Quick facts

Key figures

MeasureValue
Residents87,380
Households27,731
Median household income$44,509
Income per person$19,594
Median age31.3
Homeowners60.3%
Median home value$99,700
Median rent$889
Bachelor's degree or higher16.7%
Average commute (minutes)22.4
Households with kids under 1841.0%
Moved in the past year7.4%
Below the poverty line30.2%
Broadband internet82.8%
Speak a non-English language at home87.0%

Household income

% of householdsValue
<$10K8.5%
$10–15K6.6%
$15–25K14.1%
$25–35K11.6%
$35–50K15.2%
$50–75K16.4%
$75–100K11.8%
$100–150K10.7%
$150–200K2.9%
$200K+2.3%

Age

% of all residentsValue
<1013.8%
10–1916.7%
20–2410.2%
25–3412.8%
35–4410.9%
45–5412.3%
55–649.1%
65–748.2%
75+6.1%

Tenure

% of housing unitsValue
Owned, with mortgage17.1%
Owned outright39.1%
Rented37.0%
Vacant6.8%

Type of building

% of housing unitsValue
Detached house64.0%
Townhome3.4%
2–4 units9.6%
5–19 units5.0%
20+ units9.6%
Mobile / other8.4%

Businesses in 78521

1,384 business establishments with 28,048 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).

EDDM carrier routes

78521 has 38 USPS carrier routes with 31,923 residential and 2,906 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.

Carrier routes in 78521

78521 has 38 USPS carrier routes (24 city (C), 13 rural (R), 1 highway contract (H)) with 31,923 residential and 2,906 business mailboxes. Routes range from 119 homes (C081) to 1,301 homes (R019); the median route has 859 homes. The Census counted 27,731 households in 78521 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.

Homes per routeRoutes
1–2491
250–4992
500–74910
750–99915
1,000–1,49910
1,500+0

Best routes in 78521 for…

Highest income

For bigger-ticket offers: remodeling, pools, financial planning, private schools.

  1. Route R024 — Est. median household income $84,924, 1,041 homes
  2. Route H070 — Est. median household income $82,784, 437 homes
  3. Route R011 — Est. median household income $80,367, 865 homes
  4. Route R006 — Est. median household income $78,863, 1,124 homes
  5. Route C068 — Est. median household income $78,272, 636 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.

  1. Route C051 — Est. families with children under 18 55.2%, 1,280 homes
  2. Route R021 — Est. families with children under 18 51.4%, 859 homes
  3. Route R009 — Est. families with children under 18 50.8%, 1,168 homes
  4. Route C063 — Est. families with children under 18 47.7%, 628 homes
  5. Route C066 — Est. families with children under 18 47.0%, 767 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.

  1. Route R024 — Est. owner-occupied homes 96.4%, 1,041 homes
  2. Route R021 — Est. owner-occupied homes 93.9%, 859 homes
  3. Route R001 — Est. owner-occupied homes 89.0%, 976 homes
  4. Route H070 — Est. owner-occupied homes 84.4%, 437 homes
  5. Route C068 — Est. owner-occupied homes 79.8%, 636 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.

  1. Route C058 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 20.1%, 707 homes
  2. Route C072 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 18.0%, 851 homes
  3. Route C081 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 14.5%, 119 homes
  4. Route C068 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 13.5%, 636 homes
  5. Route C075 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 12.8%, 738 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.

  1. Route H070 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 36.8%, 437 homes
  2. Route C070 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 33.4%, 711 homes
  3. Route R024 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 31.0%, 1,041 homes
  4. Route R019 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 30.4%, 1,301 homes
  5. Route R030 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 26.0%, 944 homes

Select these 5 routes on the route map

Most businesses

For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.

  1. Route C067 — USPS business mailboxes 361, 382 homes
  2. Route C056 — USPS business mailboxes 306, 553 homes
  3. Route C058 — USPS business mailboxes 229, 707 homes
  4. Route C075 — USPS business mailboxes 186, 738 homes
  5. Route C078 — USPS business mailboxes 177, 806 homes

Select these 5 routes on the route map

Every carrier route in 78521

RouteTypeHomesBusinessesEst. median incomeEst. ownersEst. families with kidsEst. moved in past year
C051City1,28032$37,12749.8%55.2%5.8%
C052City1,10824$31,72755.0%46.7%4.2%
C054City85951$32,66052.9%41.7%10.5%
C055City1,14549$53,89473.7%41.0%4.2%
C056City553306$46,68645.6%37.4%8.9%
C058City707229$51,77831.7%29.5%20.1%
C059City91318$45,71639.4%39.4%7.7%
C060City87261$29,77640.7%30.3%10.1%
C062City50237$62,65050.9%26.3%12.7%
C063City62838$50,73859.4%47.7%9.6%
C064City504170$24,74465.3%28.3%3.7%
C065City75779$34,54860.1%43.0%12.2%
C066City76724$37,78558.5%47.0%12.4%
C067City382361$29,91639.2%29.3%8.9%
C068City63664$78,27279.8%22.9%13.5%
C069City724103$49,03367.4%38.6%2.5%
C070City711172$59,44674.7%33.8%12.2%
C071City1,07920$48,22970.7%45.1%5.2%
C072City85176$48,31829.7%33.6%18.0%
C074City98417$37,21164.0%41.5%3.4%
C075City738186$45,76749.5%30.6%12.8%
C078City806177$40,90743.6%33.7%9.4%
C080City75896$34,32345.2%31.7%0.9%
C081City11930$47,49568.4%34.9%14.5%
H070Highway contract43763$82,78484.4%21.6%8.0%
R001Rural97631$48,42389.0%41.1%4.6%
R006Rural1,12420$78,86371.3%33.4%4.5%
R009Rural1,1683$43,81476.9%50.8%4.9%
R011Rural86514$80,36776.8%27.9%7.2%
R012Rural1,21636$30,73058.3%42.5%7.1%
R014Rural1,15936$38,50669.3%44.4%5.2%
R019Rural1,3019$64,91968.4%43.2%7.9%
R021Rural85918$49,88893.9%51.4%1.6%
R023Rural88140$42,31571.0%43.4%11.4%
R024Rural1,04119$84,92496.4%20.9%5.6%
R030Rural944124$46,91445.9%36.5%8.2%
R042Rural93063$46,50078.9%45.9%6.0%
R046Rural63910$38,14062.2%46.5%6.9%

Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 78521 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

Areas that include 78521

Where it ranks

Mail every home in 78521

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.

EDDM guides

ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 78521, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.

Frequently asked questions

What city is 78521 in?
78521 is a Brownsville, TX mailing address. By land area, 28% lies inside Brownsville and 1% lies inside South Point; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
What county is 78521 in?
78521 is in Cameron County.
What is the population of 78521?
About 87,380 people (±2,846), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 88,708.
What is the median household income in 78521?
$44,509 (±$2,741), 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 78521?
38 USPS carrier routes with 31,923 residential and 2,906 business mailboxes (34,830 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
What ZIP codes are near 78521?
The closest, measured center to center: 78578 (6.9 mi, Brownsville), 78526 (9 mi, Brownsville), 78566 (14.1 mi, Brownsville), 78520 (14.4 mi, Brownsville), 78575 (15.7 mi, Brownsville) and 78597 (22.9 mi, South Padre Island).

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.