About ZIP 78661

ZIP code 78661 serves Prairie Lea in Caldwell, Texas. It centers near 29.7239°, -97.7449° and, by population, qualifies as a very small or essentially rural ZIP. Roughly 437 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).

The median household earns about — per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $161,500, and asking rents on the open market sit around — per month. Compared to the rest of Texas, that makes 78661 noticeably pricier than the state average. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $47,840 and a median home value of $137,461.

The median resident is around 33.9 years old, and roughly 7.8% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree.

Cost of living read

If you're considering a move into 78661, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $161,500 and a typical rental runs — a month. Translate that into your own budget:

At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $860 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
Renting the median unit at —/mo costs roughly — per year, or about 0.0% of the local median household income.
For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap (+$24,039 versus the state average of $137,461) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.

Who lives here

The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 33.9 and a population of 437, ZIP 78661 reads as a working-age neighborhood with a mix of young professionals and young families. The bachelor's-degree share around 7.8% is on the lower end, often reflecting trade-economy or rural labor markets.

Geography & nearby ZIPs

This ZIP centers at 29.7239, -97.7449. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.

78622 Fentress, TX 78670 Staples, TX 78638 Kingsbury, TX 78648 Luling, TX 78655 Martindale, TX 78644 Lockhart, TX 78656 Maxwell, TX 78658 Ottine, TX

Race & ethnicity (2019–2023 ACS)

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates (table B03002) count 658 people in this ZIP Code Tabulation Area — a newer, supplemental release added alongside the core figures above. See the methodology page for why the core figures themselves have not yet been refreshed to this vintage.

Group	Count	% of total
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	343	52.1%
White alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	200	30.4%
Black or African American alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	94	14.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	0	0.0%
Asian alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	0	0.0%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	0	0.0%
Some other race alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	0	0.0%
Two or more races (not Hispanic or Latino)	21	3.2%

Poverty status (2019–2023 ACS)

Of the 658 residents here for whom the Census Bureau determines poverty status (table B17001), 218 (33.1%) were below the poverty line in the past 12 months.

Commuting (2019–2023 ACS)

Among the 231 workers age 16+ here who did not work from home (table B08303), the Census Bureau's own travel-time brackets break down like this:

Travel time to work	Workers	% of workers
Less than 5 minutes	0	0.0%
5 to 9 minutes	19	8.2%
10 to 14 minutes	14	6.1%
15 to 19 minutes	15	6.5%
20 to 24 minutes	8	3.5%
25 to 29 minutes	17	7.4%
30 to 34 minutes	87	37.7%
35 to 39 minutes	20	8.7%
40 to 44 minutes	15	6.5%
45 to 59 minutes	0	0.0%
60 to 89 minutes	36	15.6%
90 minutes or more	0	0.0%

Housing occupancy (2019–2023 ACS)

Of the 217 housing units counted here (table B25002), 209 (96.3%) were occupied and 8 (3.7%) were vacant.

How to use this profile

Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.

If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Prairie Lea or browse the rest of Texas.

ZIP Code 78661 — Prairie Lea, TX