ZIP Code 81428 — Paonia, CO

About ZIP 81428

ZIP code 81428 serves Paonia in Delta, Colorado. It centers near 38.8650°, -107.5985° and, by population, qualifies as a sparsely populated rural ZIP. Roughly 3,679 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 $76,910 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $334,200, and asking rents on the open market sit around $775 per month. Compared to the rest of Colorado, that makes 81428 in line with 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 49.7 years old, and roughly 21.8% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree. Unemployment estimates from the same Census release put the share of unemployed adults around 1.6% 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 81428, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $334,200 and a typical rental runs $775 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 $1,779 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
• Renting the median unit at $775/mo costs roughly $9,300 per year, or about 12.1% of the local median household income.
• For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap (+$39,440 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 49.7 and a population of 3,679, ZIP 81428 reads as a more mature, established neighborhood with fewer young children.

Geography & nearby ZIPs

This ZIP centers at 38.8650, -107.5985. 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 Paonia or browse the rest of Colorado.