Wetmore, CO · standard
ZIP Code 81253
Custer County, Colorado - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 410
- 1/sq mi Low-density area
- $76,346
- Median income Near-median income area
- $285,000
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 35.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Wetmore pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 43%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 36%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1
- people per sq mi
- 66%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 81253 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 81253 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Wetmore, Custer County, Colorado, home to just 410 residents across 341.7 square miles, a density of 1 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 81253 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $76,346 (14% below the average Colorado ZIP), while per-capita income is $35,189. Unemployment is 11.3%, an important qualifier alongside the household-income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $285,000 (41% below the average Colorado ZIP); owner occupancy is 65.5%.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 35.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 55.2, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 1 more in Custer County, so 81253 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 →
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 81253, Wetmore, 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
410
Population
341.7
Area (sq mi)
1
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 81253?
55.2
Median Age
41.4%
Male
58.6%
Female
1.1%
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?
$76,346
Median Household Income
-14% vs state ZIP avg
$35,189
Per Capita Income
16.2%
Poverty Rate
11.3%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 81253 ranks among Colorado ZIPs
Wetmore, CO household income vs. every Colorado ZIP code
Median household income among 469 reporting Colorado ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$76,346 41st percentile higher than 41% of 469 Colorado ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Colorado 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
220housing units
220
Total Housing Units
220
Occupied Units
0
Vacant Units
2.32
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$285,000
Median Home Value
-41% vs state ZIP avg
1981
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 6 business establishments in ZIP 81253, employing approximately 18 people with a combined annual payroll of $921,000.
6
Businesses
18
Employees
$921K
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 81253 vs 81226 →
ZIP 81253 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 81226
Florence (81226)
9,066 residents
- 81253 410
Wetmore (81253)
410 residents
- 81244 398
Rockvale (81244)
398 residents
- 81221 310
Coal Creek (81221)
310 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 81253 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 81253 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 81253
Wetmore (81253)
$76,346 median income
- 81226
Florence (81226)
$53,969 median income
- 81244
Rockvale (81244)
$51,250 median income
- 81221
Coal Creek (81221)
$34,000 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 81253 ranks the highest of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 81253, 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.
More ZIP Codes in Custer County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 81253 in?
ZIP code 81253 (Wetmore) is located in Custer County, Colorado. Custer County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/custer-co.
What is the population of ZIP code 81253?
ZIP code 81253 in Wetmore, CO has a population of 410 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 81253?
The median household income in ZIP 81253 is $76,346, which is 0% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 81253?
The median home value in ZIP 81253 is $285,000, which is 2% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 81253?
The largest racial group in ZIP 81253 is White at 91.6%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 81253?
ZIP code 81253 has 6 business establishments employing approximately 18 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 81253?
In ZIP code 81253, 51.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 35.0% 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 81253?
In ZIP code 81253, approximately 65.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 34.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 81253?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 81253 is 16.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 81253's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 81253 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Wetmore, CO ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.