Payson, AZ · standard
ZIP Code 85541
Gila County, Arizona - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 21,877
- 11/sq mi Low-density area
- $66,383
- Median income Near-median income area
- $361,200
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 22.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Payson pairs a below-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 41st pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 25%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 11
- people per sq mi
- 79%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 85541 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 85541 (Payson, AZ) rose +2.6% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 271.4 in 2023 to 278.6 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 85541 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Payson, Gila County, Arizona, with 21,877 residents across 2025.6 square miles, a density of 11 people per square mile, in the Phoenix time zone.
ZIP 85541 reports a modest median household income of $66,383 (9% below the average Arizona ZIP), while per-capita income is $44,466. The poverty rate is 10.1%, with unemployment at 5.6%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $361,200 (7% above the average Arizona ZIP) and median rent is $1,260; 79.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 22.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 61.1, and the average commute is 19 minutes. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Arizona and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 85541.
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 85541
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Payson, AZ
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 85541.
- Construction
Construction
100 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
94 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
72 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
69 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
67 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 85541, Payson, AZ · 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
21,877
Population
2025.6
Area (sq mi)
11
People / sq mi
Phoenix
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 85541?
61.1
Median Age
50.0%
Male
50.0%
Female
4.0%
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?
$66,383
Median Household Income
-9% vs state ZIP avg
$44,466
Per Capita Income
10.1%
Poverty Rate
5.6%
Unemployment Rate
19.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 85541 ranks among Arizona ZIPs
Payson, AZ household income vs. every Arizona ZIP code
Median household income among 372 reporting Arizona ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$66,383 47th percentile higher than 47% of 372 Arizona ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Arizona 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
16,107housing units
16,107
Total Housing Units
11,796
Occupied Units
4,311
Vacant Units
1.95
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$361,200
Median Home Value
+7% vs state ZIP avg
$1,260
Median Rent
1992
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
+2.6%
YoY Change (2024)
279
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+179%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 85541 have increased 2.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +179% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +6.2% | 185 |
| 2021 | +18.8% | 219 |
| 2022 | +22.5% | 269 |
| 2023 | +1.0% | 271 |
| 2024 | +2.6% | 279 |
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 637 business establishments in ZIP 85541, employing approximately 5,239 people with a combined annual payroll of $223,921,000.
637
Businesses
5,239
Employees
$223.9M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 100 | 15.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 94 | 14.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 72 | 11.3% |
| Retail trade | 69 | 10.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 67 | 10.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 58 | 9.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 56 | 8.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 34 | 5.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 27 | 4.2% |
| Information | 15 | 2.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 10 | 1.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 10 | 1.6% |
| Manufacturing | 9 | 1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 6 | 0.9% |
| Educational services | 4 | 0.6% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.5% |
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 85541, both outside AZ so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (21,877 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Gila County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 85541 in?
ZIP code 85541 (Payson) is located in Gila County, Arizona. Gila County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/gila-az.
What is the population of ZIP code 85541?
ZIP code 85541 in Payson, AZ has a population of 21,877 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 85541?
The median household income in ZIP 85541 is $66,383, which is 13% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 85541?
The median home value in ZIP 85541 is $361,200, which is 30% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 85541?
The largest racial group in ZIP 85541 is White at 84.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 85541?
ZIP code 85541 has 637 business establishments employing approximately 5,239 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 85541?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 85541 are: Construction (100), Health care and social assistance (94), Accommodation and food services (72). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 85541?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 85541 increased by 2.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 179%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 85541?
In ZIP code 85541, 50.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.4% 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 85541?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 85541 is 19.3 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 85541?
In ZIP code 85541, approximately 79.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 85541?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 85541 is 10.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
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- See how ZIP 85541 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
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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.