ZIP Code 78959 — Waelder city, TX Demographics & Data

ZIP code 78959 covers Waelder, TX in Gonzales County with a population of about 1,401.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 51.1 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 361, 830; U.S. House district TX-27; the SAN ANTONIO media market.

Median household income in ZIP 78959 is about $51,029 — about 32% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 13.1%; unemployment rate near 6.7%; 16.1% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 17.6 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Construction, Agriculture, and Manufacturing; about 20.1% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 4.9 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $214,800 — about 38% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $598 (about 49% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 74.4% (about 9.0 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 78959 in Waelder, TX, a household would need roughly $59,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,380. That is about 16% above the local median household income ($51,029), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Waelder city, TX as Relatively Moderate (composite score 85.7), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (90.4) and hurricane (88.7). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Waelder city, TX show little to no average snow and around 37.9 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 66 for ZIP 78959 (Waelder city, TX) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.