78616 ZIP Code, Dale, TX

78616 is a ZIP code in Dale, Texas — mostly in Caldwell County (82% of its land), with smaller parts in Bastrop County. It covers 118 square miles of land, centered about 26 miles southeast of downtown Austin. The closest ZIP codes are 78662, 78644 and 78612. 10,683 people live here in 3,188 households. It is rural, with fewer than 100 people per square mile, and most homes are owner-occupied (80%). Median household income is $64,715, below the Texas median of $78,476; 45% of households have children under 18.

Quick facts

• Mailing city: Dale, TX
• County: Caldwell County
• Metro area: Austin
• Land area: 118 sq mi
• Population: 10,683
• Median household income: $64,715
• Carrier routes: 6 (5,105 homes)

Key figures

Household income

Age

Tenure

Type of building

Businesses in 78616

73 business establishments with 306 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).

• Construction: 34
• Other Services (except Public Administration): 9
• Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 7
• Retail Trade: 6
• Accommodation and Food Services: 6
• Health Care and Social Assistance: 3

EDDM carrier routes

78616 has 6 USPS carrier routes with 5,105 residential and 46 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.

Carrier routes in 78616

78616 has 6 USPS carrier routes (6 rural (R)) with 5,105 residential and 46 business mailboxes. Routes range from 656 homes (R004) to 1,276 homes (R006); the median route has 784 homes. The Census counted 3,188 households in 78616 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.

Best routes in 78616 for…

Highest income

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

1. Route R002 — Est. median household income $81,347, 734 homes
2. Route R005 — Est. median household income $78,643, 871 homes
3. Route R001 — Est. median household income $69,774, 805 homes
4. Route R003 — Est. median household income $69,084, 763 homes
5. Route R004 — Est. median household income $66,131, 656 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 R003 — Est. families with children under 18 64.9%, 763 homes
2. Route R005 — Est. families with children under 18 50.7%, 871 homes
3. Route R001 — Est. families with children under 18 48.3%, 805 homes
4. Route R004 — Est. families with children under 18 43.9%, 656 homes
5. Route R006 — Est. families with children under 18 41.2%, 1,276 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 R002 — Est. owner-occupied homes 93.6%, 734 homes
2. Route R001 — Est. owner-occupied homes 89.5%, 805 homes
3. Route R004 — Est. owner-occupied homes 89.4%, 656 homes
4. Route R006 — Est. owner-occupied homes 87.8%, 1,276 homes
5. Route R005 — Est. owner-occupied homes 79.8%, 871 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 R003 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 10.4%, 763 homes
2. Route R001 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 8.0%, 805 homes
3. Route R005 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 7.0%, 871 homes
4. Route R004 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 4.0%, 656 homes
5. Route R006 — Est. residents who moved in the past year 2.9%, 1,276 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 R006 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 34.0%, 1,276 homes
2. Route R004 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 31.2%, 656 homes
3. Route R005 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 29.1%, 871 homes
4. Route R001 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 29.0%, 805 homes
5. Route R003 — Est. homes built 2010 or later 24.6%, 763 homes

Select these 5 routes on the route map

Most businesses

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

1. Route R004 — USPS business mailboxes 17, 656 homes
2. Route R003 — USPS business mailboxes 9, 763 homes
3. Route R002 — USPS business mailboxes 8, 734 homes
4. Route R001 — USPS business mailboxes 7, 805 homes
5. Route R005 — USPS business mailboxes 5, 871 homes

Select these 5 routes on the route map

Every carrier route in 78616

Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 78616 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

• 78662 — Red Rock CDP, TX (6.7 mi)
• 78644 — Lockhart city, TX (8.1 mi)
• 78612 — Cedar Creek CDP, TX (12.1 mi)
• 78953 — Rosanky CDP, TX (13 mi)
• 78656 — San Marcos city, TX (15.3 mi)
• 78617 — Austin city, TX (15.6 mi)
• 78719 — Austin city, TX (16.4 mi)
• 78640 — Kyle city, TX (16.7 mi)

Areas that include 78616

• Mustang Ridge, TX ZIP codes — 3 ZIP codes
• Dale, TX ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
• Bastrop County ZIP codes — 10 ZIP codes
• Caldwell County ZIP codes — 11 ZIP codes
• Austin ZIP code map — 89 ZIP codes
• Texas ZIP code data

Where it ranks

• No. 8 of 83: highest share of households with children in the Austin area
• No. 4 of 83: lowest median age in the Austin area
• No. 4 of 9: highest share of owner-occupied homes in Caldwell County
• No. 1 of 9: highest share of households with children in Caldwell County
• No. 1 of 9: lowest median age in Caldwell County

ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 78616, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.

Frequently asked questions

What city is 78616 in?

78616 is a Dale, TX mailing address. None of its land lies inside a Census-defined city or community.

What county is 78616 in?

78616 is mostly in Caldwell County (82% of its land), with smaller parts in Bastrop County.

What is the population of 78616?

About 10,683 people (±1,517), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 11,605.

What is the median household income in 78616?

$64,715 (±$6,979), 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 78616?

6 USPS carrier routes with 5,105 residential and 46 business mailboxes (5,151 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.

What ZIP codes are near 78616?

The closest, measured center to center: 78662 (6.7 mi, Red Rock), 78644 (8.1 mi, Lockhart), 78612 (12.1 mi, Cedar Creek), 78953 (13 mi, Rosanky), 78656 (15.3 mi, San Marcos) and 78617 (15.6 mi, Austin).

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