ZIP Code 81424 — Nucla, CO

About ZIP 81424

ZIP code 81424 serves Nucla in Montrose, Colorado. It centers near 38.2682°, -108.5476° and, by population, qualifies as a sparsely populated rural ZIP. Roughly 1,098 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).

The median household earns about $34,821 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $182,500, and asking rents on the open market sit around $781 per month. Compared to the rest of Colorado, that makes 81424 considerably more affordable than the state average. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $57,100 and a median home value of $294,760.

The median resident is around 57.0 years old, and roughly 9.1% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree. Unemployment estimates from the same Census release put the share of unemployed adults around 2.0% of the total population (the labor-force-only rate is higher, since not every resident is counted as "in the labor force").

Cost of living read

If you're considering a move into 81424, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $182,500 and a typical rental runs $781 a month. Translate that into your own budget:

• At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $971 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
• Renting the median unit at $781/mo costs roughly $9,372 per year, or about 26.9% of the local median household income.
• For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap ($112,260 versus the state average of $294,760) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.

Who lives here

The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 57.0 and a population of 1,098, ZIP 81424 reads as an older-skewing area, often retirement-oriented or in a slower-growth region. The bachelor's-degree share around 9.1% is on the lower end, often reflecting trade-economy or rural labor markets.

Geography & nearby ZIPs

This ZIP centers at 38.2682, -108.5476. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.

How to use this profile

Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.

If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Nucla or browse the rest of Colorado.