Empire, CO · standard
ZIP Code 80438
Clear Creek County, Colorado - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 486
- 3/sq mi Low-density area
- $67,034
- Median income Near-median income area
- $355,600
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 33.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Empire pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- 42nd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 26%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 3
- people per sq mi
- 49%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 80438 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 80438 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Empire, Clear Creek County, Colorado, home to just 486 residents across 142.9 square miles, a density of 3 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 80438 reports a modest median household income of $67,034 (24% below the average Colorado ZIP), while per-capita income is $42,880. The poverty rate is 8.8%, with unemployment at 4.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $355,600 (27% below the average Colorado ZIP), and median rent is $1,444; owner occupancy is 48.7%.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 33.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.8, and the average commute is 24 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 more in Clear Creek County, so 80438 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 80438, Empire, CO · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
486
Population
142.9
Area (sq mi)
3
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 80438?
44.8
Median Age
58.0%
Male
42.0%
Female
0.4%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$67,034
Median Household Income
-24% vs state ZIP avg
$42,880
Per Capita Income
8.8%
Poverty Rate
4.3%
Unemployment Rate
24.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 80438 ranks among Colorado ZIPs
Empire, CO household income vs. every Colorado ZIP code
Median household income among 469 reporting Colorado ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$67,034 29th percentile higher than 29% of 469 Colorado ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Colorado ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
599housing units
599
Total Housing Units
542
Occupied Units
57
Vacant Units
1.79
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$355,600
Median Home Value
-27% vs state ZIP avg
$1,444
Median Rent
1968
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 15 business establishments in ZIP 80438, employing approximately 502 people with a combined annual payroll of $61,071,000.
15
Businesses
502
Employees
$61.1M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 20.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3 | 20.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 80438 vs 80476 →
ZIP 80438 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 80482
Winter Park (80482)
1,630 residents
- 80444
Georgetown (80444)
1,080 residents
- 80436 565
Dumont (80436)
565 residents
- 80438 486
Empire (80438)
486 residents
- 80476 194
Silver Plume (80476)
194 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 80438 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 80438 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 80444
Georgetown (80444)
$79,118 median income
- 80438
Empire (80438)
$67,034 median income
- 80482
Winter Park (80482)
$65,137 median income
- 80436
Dumont (80436)
$59,091 median income
- 80476
Silver Plume (80476)
$51,875 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 80438 ranks #2 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 80438, both outside CO so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Clear Creek County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 80438 in?
ZIP code 80438 (Empire) is located in Clear Creek County, Colorado. Clear Creek County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/clear-creek-co.
What is the population of ZIP code 80438?
ZIP code 80438 in Empire, CO has a population of 486 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 80438?
The median household income in ZIP 80438 is $67,034, which is 12% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 80438?
The median home value in ZIP 80438 is $355,600, which is 28% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 80438?
The largest racial group in ZIP 80438 is White at 87.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 80438?
ZIP code 80438 has 15 business establishments employing approximately 502 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 80438?
In ZIP code 80438, 64.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 33.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 80438?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 80438 is 24.4 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 80438?
In ZIP code 80438, approximately 48.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 51.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 80438?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 80438 is 8.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 80438's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 80438 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Empire, CO ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.