La Junta, CO · standard
ZIP Code 81050
Otero County, Colorado - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 9,894
- 7/sq mi
- $57,180
- Median income
- $199,000
- Median home value
- 18.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
La Junta pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 24th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 43rd pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 7
- people per sq mi
- 70%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 81050 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 81050 (La Junta, CO) rose +7.3% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 220.5 in 2023 to 236.5 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 81050 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in La Junta, Otero County, Colorado, home to 9,894 residents across 1393.5 square miles, a density of 7 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 81050 reports a modest median household income of $57,180 (36% below the average Colorado ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,586. The poverty rate is 22.6%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $199,000 (59% below the average Colorado ZIP), and median rent is $783; owner occupancy is 69.8%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.1, and the average commute is 21 minutes. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 more in Otero County, so 81050 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 81050
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in La Junta, CO
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 81050.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
36 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
36 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
35 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
27 establishments
- Construction
Construction
20 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, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 81050, La Junta, 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
9,894
Population
1393.5
Area (sq mi)
7
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 81050?
40.1
Median Age
50.5%
Male
49.5%
Female
5.2%
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?
$57,180
Median Household Income
-36% vs state ZIP avg
$29,586
Per Capita Income
22.6%
Poverty Rate
7.3%
Unemployment Rate
20.9 min
Mean Commute Time
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
4,523housing units
4,523
Total Housing Units
4,129
Occupied Units
394
Vacant Units
2.31
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$199,000
Median Home Value
-59% vs state ZIP avg
$783
Median Rent
1961
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
+7.3%
YoY Change (2024)
237
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+137%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 81050 have increased 7.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +137% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +10.7% | 158 |
| 2021 | +15.7% | 183 |
| 2022 | +14.8% | 210 |
| 2023 | +5.2% | 220 |
| 2024 | +7.3% | 237 |
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 253 business establishments in ZIP 81050, employing approximately 3,441 people with a combined annual payroll of $150,961,000.
253
Businesses
3,441
Employees
$151.0M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 36 | 14.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 36 | 14.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 35 | 13.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 27 | 10.7% |
| Construction | 20 | 7.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 17 | 6.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 16 | 6.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 14 | 5.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 10 | 4.0% |
| Manufacturing | 9 | 3.6% |
| Information | 9 | 3.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 9 | 3.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7 | 2.8% |
| Utilities | 4 | 1.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 1.2% |
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 81050 vs 81077 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81077 | Swink, CO | 532 | 8.7 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 81050, both outside CO so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (9,894 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.