78526 Zip Code Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for the zip code 78526, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

78526 is a zip code in Cameron County, Texas, which covers Brownsville CCD, East Cameron CCD, and Los Fresnos-Laureles, with a total population of 58,713 people.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in the 78526 zip code. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in 78526.

The estimated population of people living in 78526 is 58,713, with a median age of 29.1.

We can look back at data from previous years to see how the population in the 78526 area has changed over the last 5 years.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
58,713
+17.29%
+24.59%
2020
50,057
+2.17%
-
2019
48,995
+4.69%
-
2018
46,799
 -0.69% -
2017
47,125
 - -

Population of 78526 by Race and Ethnicity

How much has the race and ethnicity of the population in the 78526 zip code changed? The US Census Bureau gives us a few defined types that the population is broken down into.

Let's look at the total numbers and also the change over the last 5 years.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
4.7%
6%
 -21.67%
Black/African American
0.3%
0.8%
 -62.50%
Native
0.1%
0.2%
 -50.00%
Hispanic
93.4%
91.4%
 +2.19%
Asian
1.3%
1.2%
 +8.33%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
0.3%
0.4%
 -25.00%
Other
0%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for anybody studying the 78526 zip for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of 78526 by Age and Gender

We can also monitor the change of the age and gender in the 78526 zip code to track track trends in the population over time.

We can see how the population in 78526 has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 29.1 -1.69% 28.5 +2.15% 30 -4.46%
2020 29.6 +1.02% 27.9 +2.2% 31.4 -0.63%
2019 29.3 +2.09% 27.3 +1.11% 31.6 +1.28%
2018 28.7 -3.04% 27 -1.1% 31.2 -1.27%
2017 29.6 - 27.3 - 31.6 -

The median age of the 78526 zip gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population in the 78526 area, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 3,900 +48.39% 3,817 +30.68% 5,904 5,021
10 to 19 4,162 +6.36% 4,836 +8.69% 4,411 5,224
20 to 29 3,765 +30.77% 3,198 +30.36% 5,055 4,250
30 to 39 2,678 +46.13% 2,760 +15.92% 3,728 3,121
40 to 49 3,122 +45.33% 4,121 +0.36% 4,772 4,133
50 to 59 2,150 +24.11% 2,661 +11.55% 2,712 2,949
60 to 69 1,404 +32.01% 1,681 +54.05% 1,875 2,770
70+ 1,172 +8.62% 1,698 -9.6% 1,251 1,537

Median Household Income

The latest median household income for the 78526 zip code is $62,912.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less.

The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for 78526.

  • Under 25
    $0.00
  • 25 to 44
    $64,122.00
  • 45 to 64
    $70,858.00
  • 65 and over
    $40,365.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in the 78526 zip code, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in 78526, and then dividing that number by the total number of households.

This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of 78526 is currently $75,270.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

3.13% of households in 78526 are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of 78526 against other zip codes.

  • Less than $24,999
    21.19%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    19.24%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.35%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.65%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    17.67%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    6.76%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.13%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in 78526 is $21,652.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of 78526 by the total population of 78526.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people living in the 78526 area, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in 78526 to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    12.31%
  • Bachelor's degree
    41.77%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11.49%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    31.53%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.90%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in 78526 that are over the age of 16.

Currently, the total population of the 78526 zip over the age of 16 is 41,633.

Of those people, a total of 64.60% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in 78526 is 60.90%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate. Here's how that breaks down for the 78526 zip code.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 3,480 25.20% 24.00%
20 to 24 years 4,627 51.50% 12.20%
25 to 29 years 4,678 83.00% 8.60%
30 to 34 years 3,428 79.20% 7.40%
35 to 44 years 7,915 83.90% 2.80%
45 to 54 years 7,417 81.80% 3.80%
55 to 59 years 2,655 76.70% 3.60%
60 to 64 years 2,758 51.50% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 3,203 26.30% 2.10%
75 years and over 1,472 1.80% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in 78526. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau (which we mentioned earlier in this article).

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 29,515 64.40% 5.90%
Black or African American 197 85.30% 13.70%
American Indian and Alaska Native 85 44.70% 0.00%
Asian 596 88.40% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 2,085 49.00% 14.40%
Two or more races 9,155 66.90% 4.20%
Hispanic or Latino 38,495 65.40% 5.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 2,243 43.90% 1.30%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations for people living in the 78526 area as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in 78526 is 25,346, with median earnings of $32,252.00.

Women in 78526 are earning approximately 69.10% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 25,346 $32,252.00
Male 14,254 $39,026.00
Female 11,092 $26,969.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings for 78526 even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 2,369 $71,383.00
Business and Financial 1,041 $40,824.00
Computer and Mathematical 131 $73,371.00
Architecture and Engineering 183 $40,302.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 44 $46,364.00
Community and Social Service 629 $40,817.00
Legal 129 $20,954.00
Educational and Library 3,137 $52,406.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 304 $30,515.00
Healthcare Practitioners 1,197 $51,315.00
Healthcare Support 1,111 $22,750.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 490 $30,693.00
Law Enforcement 675 $73,488.00
Food Preparation and Serving 1,296 $15,181.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 584 $21,830.00
Personal Care and Service 804 $18,338.00
Sales 2,458 $17,086.00
Office and Administrative Support 3,515 $31,948.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 76 $2,499.00
Construction and Extraction 1,597 $48,750.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 796 $26,823.00
Production 964 $31,791.00
Transportation and Material Moving 970 $25,405.00

Occupations by Gender

Now we can also look at the occupations by category for 78526 when it is broken down by male and female.

This lets us see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings for 78526.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 1,735 $78,156.00 634 $63,167.00
Business and Financial 591 $46,464.00 450 $16,846.00
Computer and Mathematical 131 $73,371.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 149 $41,767.00 34 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 32 $0.00 12 $0.00
Community and Social Service 169 $31,250.00 460 $41,378.00
Legal 11 $0.00 118 $20,592.00
Educational and Library 1,391 $57,044.00 1,746 $50,063.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 217 $31,299.00 87 $15,662.00
Healthcare Practitioners 381 $57,199.00 816 $36,755.00
Healthcare Support 201 $21,920.00 910 $24,133.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 385 $30,768.00 105 $17,316.00
Law Enforcement 569 $92,664.00 106 $31,264.00
Food Preparation and Serving 302 $18,656.00 994 $13,412.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 462 $22,184.00 122 $14,063.00
Personal Care and Service 279 $19,379.00 525 $16,772.00
Sales 1,258 $19,750.00 1,200 $13,145.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,319 $38,311.00 2,196 $28,239.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 76 $2,499.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 1,564 $49,709.00 33 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 796 $26,823.00 0 $0.00
Production 764 $32,219.00 200 $30,345.00
Transportation and Material Moving 787 $31,431.00 183 $22,922.00

Households and Family Size

A household is defined by the US Census Bureau as a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 16,374 households in 78526, with an average household size of 3.58 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 14,131 families living in the 78526 zip code with an average family size of 3.92 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each, that live in 78526:

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 9,679 1,441 3,011 2,243
Average Household Size 4.17 3.48 3.57 1.13
Total Families 9,679 1,441 3,011 0
Average Household Size 4.14 3.28 3.51 0

Poverty

Of the 14,131 families living in 78526, 16.80% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in 78526:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 17,389 housing units in 78526.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 16,374 94.16%
Vacant 1,015 5.84%

26.20% of the total 17,389 housing units in 78526 are rental units. This is approximately 4,556 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 11,441 are occupied by the owner - or 65.79% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in 78526 is $936.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in 78526 that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    377
  • Less than $500
    439
  • $500 to $999
    2,285
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    1,364
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    344
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    90
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    34
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in 78526 is $123,600.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in 78526 that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    565
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    3,226
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    3,593
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1,961
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    1,627
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    313
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    156
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in 78526. The chart below shows the number of properties in 78526 that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    89
  • 1940 to 1949
    0
  • 1950 to 1959
    109
  • 1960 to 1969
    264
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,018
  • 1980 to 1989
    2,322
  • 1990 to 1999
    3,837
  • 2000 to 2009
    6,151
  • 2010 to 2013
    3,500
  • 2014 or later
    99

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in 78526 that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    488
  • 1 vehicle available
    4,418
  • 2 vehicles available
    6,785
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    4,683

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in 78526 get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in 78526 that commute to work in a particular way.

19.9 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in 78526.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    364
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    1,839
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    5,031
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    4,991
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    5,698
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    1,329
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    2,392
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    262
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    347
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    582
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    289
  • 90 or more minutes
    291

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for 78526 in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

States in 78526

If you want to see how the population and demographics of 78526 compare to other zip codes in Texas, check out the list of all Texas zip codes below: