Cortez, CO · standard
ZIP Code 81321
Montezuma County, Colorado - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 14,459
- 13/sq mi
- $59,506
- Median income
- $289,000
- Median home value
- 26.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Cortez pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 28th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 35%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 13
- people per sq mi
- 75%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 81321 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 81321 (Cortez, CO) rose +4.8% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 273.3 in 2023 to 286.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 81321 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Cortez, Montezuma County, Colorado, home to 14,459 residents across 1087.1 square miles, a density of 13 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 81321 reports a modest median household income of $59,506 (33% below the average Colorado ZIP), while per-capita income is $34,155. The poverty rate is 12.4%, with unemployment at 3.6%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $289,000 (40% below the average Colorado ZIP), and median rent is $969; owner occupancy is 74.6%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 26.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.8, and the average commute is -. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Colorado and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 81321.
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 81321
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Cortez, CO
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 81321.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
86 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
63 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
62 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
57 establishments
- Construction
Construction
54 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 81321, Cortez, 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
14,459
Population
1087.1
Area (sq mi)
13
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 81321?
41.8
Median Age
49.0%
Male
51.0%
Female
2.0%
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?
$59,506
Median Household Income
-33% vs state ZIP avg
$34,155
Per Capita Income
12.4%
Poverty Rate
3.6%
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
6,265housing units
6,265
Total Housing Units
5,785
Occupied Units
480
Vacant Units
2.42
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$289,000
Median Home Value
-40% vs state ZIP avg
$969
Median Rent
1979
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
+4.8%
YoY Change (2024)
286
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+186%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 81321 have increased 4.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +186% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.7% | 184 |
| 2021 | +14.9% | 212 |
| 2022 | +15.3% | 244 |
| 2023 | +11.9% | 273 |
| 2024 | +4.8% | 286 |
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 519 business establishments in ZIP 81321, employing approximately 4,937 people with a combined annual payroll of $225,045,000.
519
Businesses
4,937
Employees
$225.0M
Annual Payroll
18
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 86 | 16.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 63 | 12.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 62 | 11.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 57 | 11.0% |
| Construction | 54 | 10.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 42 | 8.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 28 | 5.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 23 | 4.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 22 | 4.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 17 | 3.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 15 | 2.9% |
| Manufacturing | 14 | 2.7% |
| Information | 10 | 1.9% |
| Educational services | 8 | 1.5% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 7 | 1.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 5 | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 0.6% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.6% |
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 81321, 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 (14,459 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.