78538 ZIP Code, Edcouch, TX
78538 is a ZIP code in Edcouch, Texas in Hidalgo County. It covers 67 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 78543, 78558 and 78562. 11,982 people live here in 3,556 households. With about 179 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and most homes are owner-occupied (73%). Median household income is $40,399, well below the Texas median of $78,476; 41% of households have children under 18.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Edcouch, TX
- County: Hidalgo County
- Land area: 67 sq mi
- Population: 11,982
- Median household income: $40,399
- Carrier routes: 4 (3,006 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 11,982 |
| Households | 3,556 |
| Median household income | $40,399 |
| Income per person | $17,362 |
| Median age | 32.6 |
| Homeowners | 72.9% |
| Median home value | $92,100 |
| Median rent | $556 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.0% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.2 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 41.3% |
| Moved in the past year | 2.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 37.3% |
| Broadband internet | 78.3% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 89.1% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 12.3% |
| $10–15K | 9.7% |
| $15–25K | 14.6% |
| $25–35K | 10.1% |
| $35–50K | 10.4% |
| $50–75K | 15.7% |
| $75–100K | 10.3% |
| $100–150K | 10.3% |
| $150–200K | 5.6% |
| $200K+ | 1.0% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 17.4% |
| 10–19 | 17.2% |
| 20–24 | 8.2% |
| 25–34 | 10.8% |
| 35–44 | 12.7% |
| 45–54 | 13.5% |
| 55–64 | 9.2% |
| 65–74 | 6.8% |
| 75+ | 4.4% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 26.0% |
| Owned outright | 40.2% |
| Rented | 24.3% |
| Vacant | 9.5% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 74.0% |
| Townhome | 0.1% |
| 2–4 units | 6.7% |
| 5–19 units | 4.2% |
| 20+ units | 1.7% |
| Mobile / other | 13.3% |
Businesses in 78538
59 business establishments with 525 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 14
- Construction: 10
- Transportation and Warehousing: 7
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 7
- Retail Trade: 6
- Accommodation and Food Services: 4
- Wholesale Trade: 3
EDDM carrier routes
78538 has 4 USPS carrier routes with 3,006 residential and 38 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 78538
78538 has 4 USPS carrier routes (4 rural (R)) with 3,006 residential and 38 business mailboxes. Routes range from 385 homes (R004) to 969 homes (R001); the median route has 826 homes. The Census counted 3,556 households in 78538 (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 | 3 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 78538 for…
Highest income
For bigger-ticket offers: remodeling, pools, financial planning, private schools.
- Route R001 — Est. median household income $54,694, 969 homes
- Route R003 — Est. median household income $43,163, 761 homes
- Route R004 — Est. median household income $42,806, 385 homes
- Route R002 — Est. median household income $40,969, 891 homes
Select these 4 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 R001 — Est. families with children under 18 57.3%, 969 homes
- Route R004 — Est. families with children under 18 54.5%, 385 homes
- Route R003 — Est. families with children under 18 53.2%, 761 homes
- Route R002 — Est. families with children under 18 50.2%, 891 homes
Select these 4 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 R001 — Est. owner-occupied homes 87.9%, 969 homes
- Route R003 — Est. owner-occupied homes 86.1%, 761 homes
- Route R004 — Est. owner-occupied homes 79.0%, 385 homes
- Route R002 — Est. owner-occupied homes 78.3%, 891 homes
Select these 4 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 R002 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 5.7%, 891 homes
- Route R004 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 5.4%, 385 homes
- Route R003 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 2.9%, 761 homes
- Route R001 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 2.3%, 969 homes
Select these 4 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 R003 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 28.8%, 761 homes
- Route R001 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 28.2%, 969 homes
- Route R004 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 26.6%, 385 homes
- Route R002 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 22.7%, 891 homes
Select these 4 routes on the route map
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route R003 — USPS business mailboxes 16, 761 homes
- Route R002 — USPS business mailboxes 15, 891 homes
- Route R001 — USPS business mailboxes 4, 969 homes
- Route R004 — USPS business mailboxes 3, 385 homes
Select these 4 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 78538
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R001 | Rural | 969 | 4 | $54,694 | 87.9% | 57.3% | 2.3% |
| R002 | Rural | 891 | 15 | $40,969 | 78.3% | 50.2% | 5.7% |
| R003 | Rural | 761 | 16 | $43,163 | 86.1% | 53.2% | 2.9% |
| R004 | Rural | 385 | 3 | $42,806 | 79.0% | 54.5% | 5.4% |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 78538 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
- 78543 — La Blanca CDP, TX (5 mi)
- 78558 — La Blanca CDP, TX (6 mi)
- 78562 — La Villa city, TX (7.7 mi)
- 78561 — Lasara CDP, TX (7.9 mi)
- 78542 — Linn CDP, TX (8.5 mi)
- 78549 — Harding Gill Tract CDP, TX (9.1 mi)
- 78599 — Weslaco city, TX (10.4 mi)
- 78594 — Sebastian CDP, TX (10.5 mi)
Areas that include 78538
- Edcouch, TX ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Monte Alto, TX ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Laguna Seca, TX ZIP codes — 3 ZIP codes
- Harding Gill Tract, TX ZIP codes — 2 ZIP codes
- Hidalgo County ZIP codes — 30 ZIP codes
- Texas ZIP code data
Where it ranks
Mail every home in 78538
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) 78538, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 78538 in?
- 78538 is a Edcouch, TX mailing address. By land area, 3% lies inside Monte Alto and 2% lies inside Edcouch; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 78538 in?
- 78538 is in Hidalgo County.
- What is the population of 78538?
- About 11,982 people (±1,474), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 12,278.
- What is the median household income in 78538?
- $40,399 (±$7,057), 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 78538?
- 4 USPS carrier routes with 3,006 residential and 38 business mailboxes (3,043 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 78538?
- The closest, measured center to center: 78543 (5 mi, La Blanca), 78558 (6 mi, La Blanca), 78562 (7.7 mi, La Villa), 78561 (7.9 mi, Lasara), 78542 (8.5 mi, Linn) and 78549 (9.1 mi, Harding Gill Tract).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.