PlainZIP

Fort Collins, CO · standard

ZIP Code 80521

Larimer County, Colorado - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

33,409
909/sq mi
$58,082
Median income
$564,900
Median home value
64.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Fort Collins pairs a below-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, renter-heavy area.

26th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 11%
home value, US ZIPs
909
people per sq mi
37%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 80521 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 80521 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado, with 33,409 residents across 36.8 square miles, a density of 909 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.

ZIP 80521 reports a modest median household income of $58,082 (35% below the Colorado average), while per-capita income is $33,574. Local economic indicators show a 32.6% poverty rate alongside 9.4% unemployment. Housing costs here run $564,900 for a typical home value (17% above the state average), with rent averaging $1,444 a month; 36.8% of homes are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 64.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 22.9, and the average commute is 19 minutes. To put 80521 in local context, 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Larimer County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 →

Top industries in ZIP 80521

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fort Collins, CO

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 80521.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 80521, Fort Collins, 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

33,409

Population

36.8

Area (sq mi)

909

People / sq mi

Denver

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 80521?

22.9

Median Age

49.4%

Male

50.6%

Female

4.8%

Foreign-Born

White 82.7%
African American 1.9%
Asian 3.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 8.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%

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?

$58,082

Median Household Income

-35% vs state

$33,574

Per Capita Income

32.6%

Poverty Rate

9.4%

Unemployment Rate

19.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 80521 ranks nationally

Fort Collins, CO household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$58,082 26th percentile higher than 26% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 78.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 64.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

15,000

Total Housing Units

14,260

Occupied Units

740

Vacant Units

2.20

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 36.8%
Renter 63.2%

$564,900

Median Home Value

+17% vs state

$1,444

Median Rent

1978

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+2.1%

YoY Change (2024)

330

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+230%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 80521 have increased 2.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +230% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +1.2% 240
2021 +11.2% 266
2022 +15.0% 306
2023 +5.4% 323
2024 +2.1% 330

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 653 business establishments in ZIP 80521, employing approximately 5,997 people with a combined annual payroll of $359,481,000.

653

Businesses

5,997

Employees

$359.5M

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 136 20.8%
Accommodation and food services 82 12.6%
Health care and social assistance 70 10.7%
Other services (except public administration) 67 10.3%
Construction 63 9.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing 60 9.2%
Retail trade 36 5.5%
Finance and insurance 33 5.0%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 25 3.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 21 3.2%
Information 11 1.7%
Wholesale trade 10 1.5%
Manufacturing 9 1.4%
Management of companies and enterprises 9 1.4%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 8 1.2%
Educational services 7 1.1%
Transportation and warehousing 3 0.5%

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 80521 vs 80526 →

ZIP 80521 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 80521 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 80521 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 80521 ranks #7 of 7 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
80526 Fort Collins, CO 44,183 4.8 mi
80525 Fort Collins, CO 48,419 6.5 mi
80538 Loveland, CO 43,930 8.3 mi
80524 Fort Collins, CO 31,668 6.7 mi
80535 Laporte, CO 2,636 10.1 mi
80528 Fort Collins, CO 17,946 9.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Larimer County

80525 standard
Fort Collins, CO
Pop: 48,419
80526 standard
Fort Collins, CO
Pop: 44,183
80538 standard
Loveland, CO
Pop: 43,930
80537 standard
Loveland, CO
Pop: 38,821
80524 standard
Fort Collins, CO
Pop: 31,668
80528 standard
Fort Collins, CO
Pop: 17,946

Related Areas

Larimer County Fort Collins, CO Colorado

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 80521 in? ▼
ZIP code 80521 (Fort Collins) is located in Larimer County, Colorado. Larimer County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/larimer-co.
What is the population of ZIP code 80521? ▼
ZIP code 80521 in Fort Collins, CO has a population of 33,409 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 80521? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 80521 is $58,082, which is 24% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 80521? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 80521 is $564,900, which is 103% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 80521? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 80521 is White at 82.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 80521? ▼
ZIP code 80521 has 653 business establishments employing approximately 5,997 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 80521? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 80521 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (136), Accommodation and food services (82), Health care and social assistance (70). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 80521? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 80521 increased by 2.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 230%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 80521? ▼
In ZIP code 80521, 78.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 64.0% 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 80521? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 80521 is 19.0 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 80521? ▼
In ZIP code 80521, approximately 36.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 63.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 80521? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 80521 is 32.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.