Chaffee County · Colorado
ZIP code 81242
- Population
- 890
- Median income
- $93,889
- Median home
- $479,000
- Sales tax
- 2.9%
ZCTA residents
Household, past 12 months
Owner-occupied value
Colorado state rate
Quick answer
ZIP 81242 sits in Chaffee County, Colorado and is home to 890 people. Median household income is $93,889, the median home is worth $479,000 and median gross rent is $1,569. 89.2% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 2.9% (Colorado state rate).
- County
- Chaffee County
- State
- Colorado (CO)
- Area codes
- Not published
- Metro area
- Outside covered metros
FIPS 08015
528 ZIPs covered
No NANPA match for this ZIP
Rate jurisdiction used for tax
The numbers for 81242
American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.
- Population
- 890ZIP 81242 residents
- Median household income
- $93,889Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $479,000Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $1,569Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 52.4 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 89.2%Owner-occupied households
Sales tax in 81242
What a purchase inside this ZIP costs at checkout.
Colorado levies 2.9% statewide, and counties, cities and special districts inside this ZIP can add their own local rate on top. Check the county page for the local component before you quote a price.
Affordability in this ZIP
Derived from the Census medians above — indicative, not an offer.
A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for cost-burdened households, and a price-to-income multiple above 4× is generally considered a stretched housing market. The mortgage figure is principal and interest only — taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra.
How 81242 compares
ZIP 81242 against the median ZIP in Chaffee County and across Colorado.
| Measure | ZIP 81242 | County median | State median | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $93,889 | $82,370 | $80,917 | +16% |
| Median home value | $479,000 | $598,950 | $428,850 | +12% |
| Median gross rent | $1,569 | $1,569 | $1,455 | +8% |
| Population | 890 | 1,090 | 2,604 | -66% |
Medians are computed across the 6 ZIP areas in Chaffee County and the 528 ZIP areas in Colorado.
Statewide rank
Where this ZIP places among all 528 Colorado ZIP areas.
- Income
- #153
- Home value
- #192
- Population
- #351
richer than 67% of 468 state ZIPs
above 59% of 472 state ZIPs
larger than 34% of 528 state ZIPs
Comparable ZIP codes
Colorado ZIP areas with almost the same household income.
Nearby ZIP codes
Other ZIP codes filed under Chaffee County.
ZIP 81242 questions
Common questions about this ZIP code.
- Where is ZIP code 81242?
- ZIP 81242 lies mostly in Chaffee County, Colorado. County assignment follows the largest share of land area, so a ZIP straddling a county line is filed under its dominant county.
- What sales tax do I pay in 81242?
- Colorado charges 2.9% statewide, plus any county, city or district rate that applies locally.
- Is 81242 expensive to live in?
- Median rent runs $1,569 a month, about 20% of median household income, and the median home is worth $479,000 — +12% against the typical Colorado ZIP.
- Is a ZCTA the same as a postal ZIP code?
- Not exactly. The Census builds ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the ZIP codes of addresses inside each census block, so a ZCTA can differ slightly from the USPS delivery route of the same number, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA at all.
Keep going
Related pages for this area.
Sources & transparency
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates — 2019-2023 ACS 5-year — population, income, housing
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-county relationship file — County assignment by largest land-area overlap
- Colorado Department of Revenue — Sales tax rates and local add-ons
Last reviewed December 2024. Figures are published for reference and can change; verify with the source agency before filing or contracting. How we build and check this data.