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ZIP Code 81242, Colorado

ZIP Code 81242 profile, demographic data, and geographic information.

ZCTA5 81242 is a 5-digit ZIP Code area located in Chaffee County, Colorado. As of official census estimates, it has a reported population of 807. The land area covers 20.51 sq mi. [1]

Demographics & Population

Demographic Metric Estimate / Count Margin of Error Survey Period / Source
Total Population 807 ±269 2020-2024 / Census ACS 5-Year 2024
Median Age 52.7 yrs ±6.3 2020-2024 / Census ACS 5-Year 2024
Total Households 492 ±175 2020-2024 / Census ACS 5-Year 2024
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (PEP, ACS 5-Year).

Housing & Real Estate Profile

Housing Metric Estimate / Value Margin of Error
Total Housing Units 548 ±176
Occupied Housing Units 492 ±175
Vacant Housing Units 56 ±40
Median Home Value $482,500 ±$64,412
Median Gross Rent $1,765 ±$293
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2020-2024).

Economy & Workforce

Economic Metric Estimate / Value Margin of Error
Median Household Income $95,865 ±$26,472
Per Capita Income $59,042 ±$9,620
Poverty Rate 0.5% ±0.7%
Population Below Poverty Level 4 ±6
Unemployment Rate 0% ±2.5%
Civilian Labor Force, Employed 554 ±234
Broadband Internet Rate 93.3% ±11.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2020-2024).

Local Government & Public Administration

Authoritative general-purpose local government units serving this area U.S. Census Bureau GUS (2026) / GMAF
Government Unit Unit Type Jurisdiction Role Contact / Address
GUS Population: 20,780 (2024)
ID: 211983
County Official County Government
Contact: STAFF ACCOUNTANT
PO BOX 699, SALIDA CO 81201-0699

Education

Listing 7 local institutions (NCES 2024-2025) External reference via K12Guides
Institution Type Grades Location
Regular School Nearby 05-08 SALIDA, CO
Alternative School Nearby 09-12 SALIDA, CO
Regular School Nearby KG-04 SALIDA, CO
Regular School Nearby PK SALIDA, CO
Regular School Nearby 09-12 SALIDA, CO
Regular School Nearby 05-08 SALIDA, CO
Regular School Nearby PK-08 SALIDA, CO
Source: k12guides.com.

Community Facilities & Infrastructure

Displaying 2 civic institutions across 1 datasets queried CMS • IPEDS • IMLS
Facility Name Category Relationship Address / Location Contact
SALIDA PUBLIC LIBRARY
Library 6.0 mi away 405 `E` ST, SALIDA, CO, 81201
(719) 539-4826
SOUTHERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BOOKMOBILE
Library 6.0 mi away 406 `E` ST, SALIDA, CO, 81202
(719) 539-4826
Distances calculated from authoritative source coordinates. Source: CMS, IMLS, NCES IPEDS.

Climate & Weather Observations

NOAA Monthly Climate Normals

Observation Station: Climate data reflects NOAA 1991–2020 standard normals recorded at SALIDA, CO US, located 5.2 miles from ZCTA5 81242. Local microclimates, topography, and elevation may cause municipal conditions to differ.
Month High (°F) Low (°F) Mean (°F) Precip (in) Snow (in)
January 43.4° 11.5° 27.4° 0.31" 4.0"
February 45.5° 14.8° 30.1° 0.27" 4.1"
March 54.0° 21.0° 37.5° 0.69" 6.5"
April 60.3° 27.7° 44.0° 1.05" 8.0"
May 70.2° 34.6° 52.4° 0.96" 2.7"
June 82.0° 43.4° 62.7° 0.50" 0.0"
July 85.8° 49.1° 67.4° 1.36" 0.0"
August 83.1° 47.2° 65.1° 1.46" 0.0"
September 77.0° 38.9° 58.0° 0.67" 0.0"
October 65.4° 28.9° 47.1° 0.87" 2.6"
November 52.7° 19.5° 36.1° 0.25" 4.1"
December 43.2° 12.6° 27.9° 0.38" 4.7"
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020).

Local Weather Forecast

Weather forecast data is currently unavailable in the local cache.

Nearby Cities & Communities

Listing adjacent communities by spatial proximity (miles) Proximity discovery
Community Name Classification Distance Population
Poncha Springs town Town 3.4 mi —
Salida city City 5.7 mi —
Smeltertown CDP CDP 6.6 mi —
Maysville CDP CDP 8.8 mi —
Bonanza town Town 12.7 mi —
Garfield CDP CDP 12.9 mi —

Sources & Data Provenance

  1. Geographic Classification & Identifiers: U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer (2026) and TIGER/Line Shapefiles. GEOID: 81242. • Official Source Dataset →
  2. Socioeconomic & Housing Metrics: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates and Population Estimates Program (PEP). Margin of Error (MOE) intervals are reported where published; suppressed values are never estimated or replaced with false zeros.
  3. Civic Directory Datasets: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS Hospital Directory), National Center for Education Statistics (NCES IPEDS Postsecondary Directory), and Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS Public Libraries Survey). Airport landing facilities are provided by airport-data.com.
  4. Weather & Climate Observations: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 and National Weather Service (NWS) point forecasts.