US5.com
  1. Home
  2. States
  3. Texas
  4. ZIP 78597
  5. Housing & Real Estate
South Padre Island town, TX

ZIP 78597 — Housing & Real Estate

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates. Page data updated 2026-08-02.

Middle ClassLow Snow AreaRemote Work Hub

Home values, rent, tenure, and housing stock

Housing & Real Estate in ZIP Code 78597

Median Home Value
$508,800
Median Rent
$1,326
Affordability Snapshot
$140,000
Est. income to buy

Household income needed for a median home under a 20% down / 6.8% illustrative mortgage model (~$3,268/mo PITI).

26%
Rent-to-Income Ratio

Below the 30% threshold — generally affordable for median earners.

8.3x
Home Price-to-Income Ratio

Well above the 3-5x guideline — challenging for first-time buyers.

32.0 yrs
Price-to-Rent Ratio

Years to break even buying vs renting at median home value and rent.

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 78597 in South Padre Island town, TX, a household would need roughly $140,000 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 $3,268. That is about 128% above the local median household income ($61,357), 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.

Housing Tenure

Vacancy rate 74% — check local market conditions.

Heating Fuel
Housing Metrics
Owner Occupied
66.8%+2% vs US avg
x
Vacancy Rate
73.9%+617% vs US avg
x
Broadband Access
85.7%-1% vs US avg
x
4+ Bedrooms
0.0%
x
Built Pre-1939
0.0%
x
Built Post-2014
0.0%
x
Rent Burden >30%
13.9%-72% vs US avg
x
Mortgage-Free
62.4%+63% vs US avg
x
$508,800
Home Value
$1,326
Rent
1985
Year Built
2014
Moved In

Residents have lived here since ~2014 on average

Housing Structure

Census ACS structure types (single-family, multi-unit, etc.).

  • 1-unit detached13.0%
  • 1-unit attached2.5%
  • 2-9 units16.1%
  • 10+ units68.1%
  • Mobile home & other0.4%

Housing & Real Estate key statistics

Housing statistics
Housing
Median home value$508,800
Median rent$1,326
Owner-occupied66.8%
Vacant73.9%
Price-to-income8.3x
Est. income to buy$140,000