PlainZIP

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
$76,346
Median income
$285,000
Median home value
35.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 Colorado average), while per-capita income is $35,189. Local economic indicators show a 16.2% poverty rate alongside 11.3% unemployment. Housing costs here run $285,000 for a typical home value (41% below the state average), with rent averaging - a month; 65.5% of homes are owner-occupied.

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 -. To put 81253 in local context, 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 1 additional ZIPs in Custer County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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

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 81253?

55.2

Median Age

41.4%

Male

58.6%

Female

1.1%

Foreign-Born

White 91.6%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.0%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

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

$35,189

Per Capita Income

16.2%

Poverty Rate

11.3%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 81253 ranks nationally

Wetmore, CO household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$76,346 Top 43% higher than 57% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 51.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 35.0%

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

What does housing look like?

220

Total Housing Units

220

Occupied Units

0

Vacant Units

2.32

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 65.5%
Renter 34.5%

$285,000

Median Home Value

-41% vs state

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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 81253 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 81253 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
81226 Florence, CO 9,066 8.5 mi
81221 Coal Creek, CO 310 10.7 mi
81244 Rockvale, CO 398 11.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Custer County

81252 standard
Westcliffe, CO
Pop: 3,830

Related Areas

Custer County Wetmore, CO Colorado

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.

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