Ouray, CO · standard
ZIP Code 81427
Ouray County, Colorado - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,124
- 4/sq mi
- $84,167
- Median income
- $604,200
- Median home value
- 60.5%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Ouray pairs an above-median household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 33%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 9%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4
- people per sq mi
- 74%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 81427 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 81427 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Ouray, Ouray County, Colorado, home to just 1,124 residents across 267.6 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 81427 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $84,167 (5% below the average Colorado ZIP), while per-capita income is $44,843. The poverty rate is 2.9%, with unemployment at 4.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $604,200 (25% above the average Colorado ZIP), while 73.8% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,269.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 60.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 54.9, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 1 more in Ouray County, so 81427 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 81427
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Ouray, CO
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 81427.
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
37 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
19 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services 14
Professional, scientific, and technical services
14 establishments
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation 8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
8 establishments
- Construction 7
Construction
7 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 81427, Ouray, 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
1,124
Population
267.6
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 81427?
54.9
Median Age
50.0%
Male
50.0%
Female
5.6%
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?
$84,167
Median Household Income
-5% vs state ZIP avg
$44,843
Per Capita Income
2.9%
Poverty Rate
4.2%
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
984housing units
984
Total Housing Units
600
Occupied Units
384
Vacant Units
2.03
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$604,200
Median Home Value
+25% vs state ZIP avg
$1,269
Median Rent
1978
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
+31.4%
YoY Change (2022)
226
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+126%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 81427 have increased 31.4% over the past year (2022). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +126% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +2.4% | 146 |
| 2019 | +10.6% | 162 |
| 2020 | -0.3% | 161 |
| 2021 | +6.6% | 172 |
| 2022 | +31.4% | 226 |
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 2022. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 114 business establishments in ZIP 81427, employing approximately 658 people with a combined annual payroll of $26,786,000.
114
Businesses
658
Employees
$26.8M
Annual Payroll
10
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 37 | 32.5% |
| Retail trade | 19 | 16.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 14 | 12.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 8 | 7.0% |
| Construction | 7 | 6.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 7 | 6.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 5 | 4.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 3 | 2.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 3 | 2.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3 | 2.6% |
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 81427 vs 81432 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81432 | Ridgway, CO | 2,682 | 10.1 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 81427, 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 (1,124 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.