Buena Vista, CO · standard
ZIP Code 81211
Chaffee County, Colorado - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 7,623
- 6/sq mi
- $88,083
- Median income
- $677,400
- Median home value
- 39.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Buena Vista pairs an above-median household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 29%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 7%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 73%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 81211 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 81211 (Buena Vista, CO) rose +7.5% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 322.9 in 2023 to 347.1 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 81211 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Buena Vista, Chaffee County, Colorado, home to 7,623 residents across 1191.1 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 81211 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $88,083 (1% below the average Colorado ZIP), while per-capita income is $45,070. The poverty rate is 6.6%, with unemployment at 9.9%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $677,400 (40% above the average Colorado ZIP), while 73.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,849.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 39.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.3, and the average commute is 20 minutes. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Colorado and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 81211.
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 81211
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Buena Vista, CO
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 81211.
- Construction
Construction
74 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
52 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
48 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate and rental and leasing
43 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
38 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 81211, Buena Vista, 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
7,623
Population
1191.1
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 81211?
48.3
Median Age
58.0%
Male
42.0%
Female
3.9%
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?
$88,083
Median Household Income
-1% vs state ZIP avg
$45,070
Per Capita Income
6.6%
Poverty Rate
9.9%
Unemployment Rate
19.7 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
4,333housing units
4,333
Total Housing Units
3,876
Occupied Units
457
Vacant Units
1.82
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$677,400
Median Home Value
+40% vs state ZIP avg
$1,849
Median Rent
1995
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
+7.5%
YoY Change (2024)
347
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+247%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 81211 have increased 7.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +247% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.9% | 222 |
| 2021 | +13.4% | 251 |
| 2022 | +26.1% | 317 |
| 2023 | +1.9% | 323 |
| 2024 | +7.5% | 347 |
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 401 business establishments in ZIP 81211, employing approximately 2,200 people with a combined annual payroll of $109,506,000.
401
Businesses
2,200
Employees
$109.5M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 74 | 18.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 52 | 13.0% |
| Retail trade | 48 | 12.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 43 | 10.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 38 | 9.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 29 | 7.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 27 | 6.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 23 | 5.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 21 | 5.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 11 | 2.7% |
| Manufacturing | 9 | 2.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7 | 1.8% |
| Information | 6 | 1.5% |
| Educational services | 6 | 1.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 1.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 81211, 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 (7,623 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.