Crested Butte, CO · standard

ZIP Code 81224

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

3,446
9/sq mi
$89,907
Median income
$923,600
Median home value
71.1%
Bachelor's or higher

National ZIP placement

Crested Butte pairs an above-median household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 27%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 3%
home value, US ZIPs
9
people per sq mi
73%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 81224 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 81224 covers 405.4 square miles in Crested Butte, Gunnison County, Colorado (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,446 residents on file, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.

ZIP 81224 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $89,907 (1% above the average Colorado ZIP), while per-capita income is $72,699. The poverty rate is 3.3%, with unemployment at 8.8%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $923,600 (91% above the average Colorado ZIP), while 72.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,634.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 71.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.8, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Gunnison County, so 81224 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 →

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Top industries in ZIP 81224

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Crested Butte, CO

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 81224.

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 81224, Crested Butte, 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

3,446

Population

405.4

Area (sq mi)

9

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 81224?

48.8

Median Age

48.5%

Male

51.5%

Female

4.3%

Foreign-Born

White 84.9%
African American 0.0%
Asian 2.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 10.1%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%

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?

$89,907

Median Household Income

+1% vs state ZIP avg

$72,699

Per Capita Income

3.3%

Poverty Rate

8.8%

Unemployment Rate

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

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 80.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 71.1%

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

What does housing look like?

2,486

Total Housing Units

1,768

Occupied Units

718

Vacant Units

1.75

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 72.6%
Renter 27.4%

$923,600

Median Home Value

+91% vs state ZIP avg

$1,634

Median Rent

1992

Median Year Built

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

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

+4.5%

YoY Change (2021)

270

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+170%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 81224 have increased 4.5% over the past year (2021). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +170% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2017 -1.7% 212
2018 +23.4% 261
2019 -6.5% 244
2020 +5.6% 258
2021 +4.5% 270

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 2021. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 507 business establishments in ZIP 81224, employing approximately 2,372 people with a combined annual payroll of $111,313,000.

507

Businesses

2,372

Employees

$111.3M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 105 20.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 80 15.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing 71 14.0%
Accommodation and food services 55 10.8%
Retail trade 52 10.3%
Other services (except public administration) 30 5.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 22 4.3%
Health care and social assistance 20 3.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 19 3.8%
Manufacturing 15 3.0%
Information 11 2.2%
Finance and insurance 11 2.2%
Educational services 8 1.6%
Utilities 3 0.6%

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 81224 vs 81225 →

ZIP Code City Population Distance
81225 Crested Butte, CO 952 6.0 mi

Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles

Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 81224, 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 (3,446 here; floor ≥1,000).

Similar median household income

Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.

More ZIP Codes in Gunnison County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 81224 in?
ZIP code 81224 (Crested Butte) is located in Gunnison County, Colorado. Gunnison County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/gunnison-co.
What is the population of ZIP code 81224?
ZIP code 81224 in Crested Butte, CO has a population of 3,446 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 81224?
The median household income in ZIP 81224 is $89,907, which is 18% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 81224?
The median home value in ZIP 81224 is $923,600, which is 232% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 81224?
The largest racial group in ZIP 81224 is White at 84.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 81224?
ZIP code 81224 has 507 business establishments employing approximately 2,372 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 81224?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 81224 are: Construction (105), Professional, scientific, and technical services (80), Real estate and rental and leasing (71). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 81224?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 81224 increased by 4.5% in 2021. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 170%. 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 81224?
In ZIP code 81224, 80.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 71.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 81224?
In ZIP code 81224, approximately 72.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 81224?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 81224 is 3.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Related

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