PlainZIP

Fort Defiance, AZ · standard

ZIP Code 86504

Apache County, Arizona - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

6,589
8/sq mi
$46,573
Median income
$45,000
Median home value
14.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Fort Defiance pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

11th pct
household income, US ZIPs
1th pct
home value, US ZIPs
8
people per sq mi
67%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 86504 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 86504 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Fort Defiance, Apache County, Arizona, home to 6,589 residents across 834.1 square miles, a density of 8 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.

ZIP 86504 reports a modest median household income of $46,573 (36% below the Arizona average), while per-capita income is $18,028. 25.8% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 14.6%. Median home value sits at $45,000 (87% below the state average), median rent at $844 a month, and owner-occupancy at 67.0%.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33, and the average commute is -. Use the benchmarks above to see where 86504 sits relative to Arizona and the national baseline rather than viewing the numbers in isolation.

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 86504, Fort Defiance, 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

6,589

Population

834.1

Area (sq mi)

8

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 86504?

33.0

Median Age

43.6%

Male

56.4%

Female

1.9%

Foreign-Born

White 2.4%
African American 0.4%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 89.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%

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?

$46,573

Median Household Income

-36% vs state

$18,028

Per Capita Income

25.8%

Poverty Rate

14.6%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 86504 ranks nationally

Fort Defiance, AZ household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$46,573 11th percentile higher than 11% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 49.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 14.4%

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

What does housing look like?

2,096

Total Housing Units

1,709

Occupied Units

387

Vacant Units

3.37

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 67.0%
Renter 33.0%

$45,000

Median Home Value

-87% vs state

$844

Median Rent

1980

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 16 business establishments in ZIP 86504, employing approximately 681 people with a combined annual payroll of $53,106,000.

16

Businesses

681

Employees

$53.1M

Annual Payroll

1

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 6 37.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

More ZIP Codes in Apache County

86503 standard
Chinle, AZ
Pop: 10,714
86505 standard
Ganado, AZ
Pop: 7,682
85925 standard
Eagar, AZ
Pop: 4,893
86515 standard
Window Rock, AZ
Pop: 4,479
85936 standard
Saint Johns, AZ
Pop: 4,293
86511 standard
Saint Michaels, AZ
Pop: 3,694

Related Areas

Apache County Fort Defiance, AZ Arizona

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 86504 in? ▼
ZIP code 86504 (Fort Defiance) is located in Apache County, Arizona. Apache County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/apache-az.
What is the population of ZIP code 86504? ▼
ZIP code 86504 in Fort Defiance, AZ has a population of 6,589 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 86504? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 86504 is $46,573, which is 39% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 86504? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 86504 is $45,000, which is 84% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 86504? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 86504 is American Indian or Alaska Native at 89.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 86504? ▼
ZIP code 86504 has 16 business establishments employing approximately 681 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 86504? ▼
In ZIP code 86504, 49.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.4% 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 86504? ▼
In ZIP code 86504, approximately 67.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 33.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 86504? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 86504 is 25.8% 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.