PlainZIP

Blue Gap, AZ · standard

ZIP Code 86520

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

1,793
3/sq mi
$15,417
Median income
$55,800
Median home value
5.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

0th pct
household income, US ZIPs
1th pct
home value, US ZIPs
3
people per sq mi
88%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 86520 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 86520 covers 640.4 square miles in Blue Gap, Apache County, Arizona (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,793 residents on file, a density of 3 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.

ZIP 86520 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $15,417 (79% below the Arizona average), while per-capita income is $11,696. The poverty rate stands at 53.6% and the unemployment rate at 36.4%. On housing, the median home value is $55,800 (83% below the state average) with median rent at $716 per month, and 87.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 5.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33, and the average commute is -. Arizona and national benchmarks, shown above, are the best way to contextualize 86520, not the raw numbers alone.

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 86520, Blue Gap, 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

1,793

Population

640.4

Area (sq mi)

3

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 86520?

33.0

Median Age

47.2%

Male

52.8%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 0.0%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 99.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.2%

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?

$15,417

Median Household Income

-79% vs state

$11,696

Per Capita Income

53.6%

Poverty Rate

36.4%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 86520 ranks nationally

Blue Gap, AZ household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$15,417 0th percentile higher than 0% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). This entry sits in this band. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Above this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Above this entry. $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 38.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 5.8%

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

What does housing look like?

1,078

Total Housing Units

844

Occupied Units

234

Vacant Units

2.72

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 87.6%
Renter 12.4%

$55,800

Median Home Value

-83% vs state

$716

Median Rent

1992

Median Year Built

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

More ZIP Codes in Apache County

86503 standard
Chinle, AZ
Pop: 10,714
86505 standard
Ganado, AZ
Pop: 7,682
86504 standard
Fort Defiance, AZ
Pop: 6,589
85925 standard
Eagar, AZ
Pop: 4,893
86515 standard
Window Rock, AZ
Pop: 4,479
85936 standard
Saint Johns, AZ
Pop: 4,293

Related Areas

Apache County Blue Gap, AZ Arizona

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 86520 in? ▼
ZIP code 86520 (Blue Gap) 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 86520? ▼
ZIP code 86520 in Blue Gap, AZ has a population of 1,793 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 86520? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 86520 is $15,417, which is 80% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 86520? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 86520 is $55,800, which is 80% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 86520? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 86520 is American Indian or Alaska Native at 99.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.2% of the population.
What is the education level in ZIP code 86520? ▼
In ZIP code 86520, 38.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 5.8% 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 86520? ▼
In ZIP code 86520, approximately 87.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 86520? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 86520 is 53.6% 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.