Poncha Springs, CO · standard
ZIP Code 81242
Chaffee County, Colorado - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 606
- 106/sq mi
- $95,865
- Median income
- $482,500
- Median home value
- 34.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Poncha Springs pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 22%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 14%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 106
- people per sq mi
- 88%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 81242 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 81242 (Poncha Springs, CO) rose +1.3% from 2023 to 2024.
ZIP code 81242 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Poncha Springs, Chaffee County, Colorado, home to just 606 residents across 5.7 square miles, a density of 106 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 81242 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $95,865 (8% above the average Colorado ZIP), while per-capita income is $59,042. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 0.5% and unemployment is 0.0%. Median home value is $482,500 (0% below the average Colorado ZIP) and median rent is $1,765; 88.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 34.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 52.7, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 more in Chaffee County, so 81242 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 81242
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Poncha Springs, CO
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 81242.
- Construction
Construction
7 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
7 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
6 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
6 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
4 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 81242, Poncha Springs, 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
606
Population
5.7
Area (sq mi)
106
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 81242?
52.7
Median Age
54.2%
Male
45.8%
Female
1.2%
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?
$95,865
Median Household Income
+8% vs state ZIP avg
$59,042
Per Capita Income
0.5%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
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
548housing units
548
Total Housing Units
492
Occupied Units
56
Vacant Units
1.64
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$482,500
Median Home Value
-0% vs state ZIP avg
$1,765
Median Rent
2003
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 45 business establishments in ZIP 81242, employing approximately 223 people with a combined annual payroll of $10,512,000.
45
Businesses
223
Employees
$10.5M
Annual Payroll
7
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 7 | 15.6% |
| Retail trade | 7 | 15.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 6 | 13.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 6 | 13.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 8.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 4 | 8.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 8.9% |
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 81242 vs 81201 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81201 | Salida, CO | 8,645 | 3.7 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 81242, 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.