Vail, CO · standard
ZIP Code 81657
Eagle County, Colorado - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 5,581
- 19/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $100,573
- Median income Above-median income area
- $1,501,800
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 69.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Vail pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 19%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 1%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 19
- people per sq mi
- 61%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 81657 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 81657 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Vail, Eagle County, Colorado, home to 5,581 residents across 287.7 square miles, a density of 19 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 81657 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $100,573 (13% above the average Colorado ZIP), while per-capita income is $105,358. The poverty rate is 6.3%, with unemployment at 7.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $1,501,800 (210% above the average Colorado ZIP), while 61.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,644.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 69.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 49.4, and the average commute is 18 minutes. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Eagle County, so 81657 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 81657
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Vail, CO
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 81657.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
113 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
93 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate and rental and leasing
86 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
50 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 43
Other services (except public administration)
43 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 81657, Vail, 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
5,581
Population
287.7
Area (sq mi)
19
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 81657?
49.4
Median Age
56.4%
Male
43.6%
Female
15.7%
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?
$100,573
Median Household Income
+13% vs state ZIP avg
$105,358
Per Capita Income
6.3%
Poverty Rate
7.0%
Unemployment Rate
17.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 81657 ranks among Colorado ZIPs
Vail, 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)
$100,573 Top 33% higher than 67% 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
7,010housing units
7,010
Total Housing Units
2,563
Occupied Units
4,447
Vacant Units
1.88
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$1,501,800
Median Home Value
+210% vs state ZIP avg
$1,644
Median Rent
1987
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 506 business establishments in ZIP 81657, employing approximately 12,658 people with a combined annual payroll of $745,855,000.
506
Businesses
12,658
Employees
$745.9M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 113 | 22.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 93 | 18.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 86 | 17.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 50 | 9.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 43 | 8.5% |
| Construction | 22 | 4.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 21 | 4.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 16 | 3.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 16 | 3.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 15 | 3.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 7 | 1.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7 | 1.4% |
| Manufacturing | 6 | 1.2% |
| Information | 6 | 1.2% |
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 81657 vs 81649 →
ZIP 81657 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 80498
Silverthorne (80498)
7,002 residents
- 81657
Vail (81657)
5,581 residents
- 81649 277
Red Cliff (81649)
277 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 81657 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 81657, 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 (5,581 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Eagle County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 81657 in?
ZIP code 81657 (Vail) is located in Eagle County, Colorado. Eagle County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/eagle-co.
What is the population of ZIP code 81657?
ZIP code 81657 in Vail, CO has a population of 5,581 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 81657?
The median household income in ZIP 81657 is $100,573, which is 32% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 81657?
The median home value in ZIP 81657 is $1,501,800, which is 440% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 81657?
The largest racial group in ZIP 81657 is White at 84.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 12.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 81657?
ZIP code 81657 has 506 business establishments employing approximately 12,658 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 81657?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 81657 are: Retail trade (113), Accommodation and food services (93), Real estate and rental and leasing (86). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 81657?
In ZIP code 81657, 78.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 69.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 81657?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 81657 is 17.8 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 81657?
In ZIP code 81657, approximately 61.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 38.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 81657?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 81657 is 6.3% 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 81657's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 81657 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Vail, CO ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.