81520 ZIP Code — Clifton, CO

Mesa County, Colorado

ZIP code 81520 is located in Clifton, Colorado, within Mesa County. It covers approximately 20.55 square miles and serves a population of 13,682 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 970.

About ZIP code 81520

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $198,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 66%.

Median household income is $49,796. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 22% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 34% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 19 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 81520 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

13,682

population

20.55

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81520 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81520

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81520. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Clifton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

81504 Grand Junction (1.7 mi) 81526 Palisade (4 mi) 81501 Grand Junction (6.6 mi) 81506 Grand Junction (7.3 mi) 81503 Grand Junction (8.2 mi) 81505 Grand Junction (11.1 mi) 81507 Grand Junction (11.4 mi) 81527 Whitewater (12.6 mi) 81521 Fruita (15.6 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	13,682
Population density	666 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	077

Geography
Land area	20.55 sq mi
Water area	0.04 sq mi
Latitude	39.0850
Longitude	-108.4318
Timezone	Mountain (MT)
Area code	970

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.5%	44.7%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	32.5%	32.7%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	12.7%	18.9%	26.9%
Over $200k	3.3%	3.7%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

13,682

Population

666

People per sq mi

35.5

Median age

$49,796

Median household income

$26,218

Per capita income

$198,500

Median home value

$1,026

Median monthly rent

65.5%

Home ownership

20.0%

Poverty rate

6.5%

Unemployment

3,742

Housing units

12.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

460

Under 5

481

456

5–9

477

296

10–14

310

569

15–19

596

562

20–24

588

944

25–34

988

913

35–44

957

792

45–54

829

319

55–59

334

395

60–64

413

679

65–74

710

205

75–84

214

85+

100

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,177	23.2%
18 and over	10,505	76.8%
65 and over	2,003	14.6%
Median age	35.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85%

Hispanic or Latino 4.8%

Two or more races 4.6%

Other race 2.2%

Asian 2.1%

Black or African American 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	12,224	85%
Hispanic or Latino	695	4.8%
Two or more races	656	4.6%
Other race	311	2.2%
Asian	305	2.1%
Black or African American	114	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	71	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.5%	44.7%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	32.5%	32.7%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	12.7%	18.9%	26.9%
Over $200k	3.3%	3.7%	9.6%

Under $10k 9.6%

$10k–$15k 4.2%

$15k–$25k 9.7%

$25k–$35k 13.4%

$35k–$50k 13.4%

$50k–$75k 17.7%

$75k–$100k 10.6%

$100k–$150k 12.3%

$150k–$200k 5.5%

$200k+ 3.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.6%
$10k–$15k	4.2%
$15k–$25k	9.7%
$25k–$35k	13.4%
$35k–$50k	13.4%
$50k–$75k	17.7%
$75k–$100k	10.6%
$100k–$150k	12.3%
$150k–$200k	5.5%
$200k+	3.5%
Median income	$49,796

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.9%

$50k–$100k 9.4%

$100k–$150k 8.1%

$150k–$200k 19.4%

$200k–$300k 28.9%

$300k–$500k 13.4%

$500k–$1M 5.5%

$1M+ 1.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$198,500
Median rent / month	$1,026
Owner occupied	65.5%
Renter occupied	34.5%
Vacant	5.0%
Single-family detached	57.4%
Large apartment buildings	1.2%
Mobile homes	22.9%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.74

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	3.0%
2000–2009	17.3%
1990–1999	13.5%
1980–1989	19.8%
1970–1979	29.5%
1960–1969	5.9%
1950–1959	2.8%
1940–1949	1.9%
1939 or earlier	5.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.5%
1 bedroom	1.8%
2 bedrooms	24.8%
3 bedrooms	59.3%
4 bedrooms	12.2%
5+ bedrooms	0.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.9%
1 vehicle	35.2%
2 vehicles	32.6%
3 or more	27.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	81.4%
Electricity	12.7%
Propane / LP gas	3.2%
Wood	2.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,260	42.7%
Cohabiting couple	279	5.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,077	20.4%
Female householder, no spouse	1,671	31.6%
Households with children under 18	1,848	35.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,628	30.8%
Average household size	2.58

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.5%	29.4%
Married	45.7%	44.9%
Separated	0.7%	2.6%
Widowed	3.3%	7.2%
Divorced	14.9%	15.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.4%

Some HS, no diploma 9.7%

HS graduate 33.5%

Some college, no degree 31.1%

Associate's degree 7.7%

Bachelor's degree 9.2%

Graduate / professional 3.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.9%
Bachelor's or higher	12.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	155	4.9%
Kindergarten	110	3.5%
Elementary school	1,322	42.2%
High school	848	27.0%
College / grad school	701	22.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.1%

Retail trade 16.1%

Construction 10.4%

Transportation & utilities 8.8%

Professional & management 7.6%

Finance & real estate 7.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.3%

Other services 6.8%

Public administration 4.7%

Agriculture & mining 4.5%

Manufacturing 4.5%

Information 2.7%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	21.6%
Service	26.2%
Sales & office	21.1%
Natural resources & construction	13.7%
Production & transportation	17.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.2%
Government	11.7%
Self-employed	7.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	71.5%
Carpool	8.0%
Public transit	1.2%
Walk	3.3%
Work from home	11.3%
Other means	4.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.4

Poverty

All people 20.0%

Under 18 years 34.0%

18 and over 15.8%

Married-couple families 9.4%

Female-led households 37.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.9%
Retirement income	17.3%
Supplemental Security	4.5%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.5%
High blood pressure	27.3%
High cholesterol	27.7%
Diabetes	9.4%
Heart disease	6.2%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	11.4%
Arthritis	24.0%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	8.2%
Cancer	5.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.3%
Binge drinking	18.4%
No physical activity	23.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.6%
Depression	23.3%
Fair or poor health	17.1%
Poor mental health	17.2%
Poor physical health	12.5%
No health insurance	19.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	64.9%
Visited dentist	52.7%
Cholesterol screening	84.6%
Teeth loss	19.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	877	8.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.6%
Under 18	3.7%
18–64 years	11.8%
65 and over	30.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	51.5%
Public insurance	49.1%
No insurance	12.6%
Uninsured under 19	8.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	12,741	93.1%
Spanish	510	4.0%
Other Indo-European	377	3.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	45	0.4%
Other languages	88	0.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	12,726	93.0%
Born in same state	12,629	92.3%
Born in different state	7,544	55.1%
Foreign born	97	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	956	7.0%
Not a US citizen	289	30.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,558	11.4%
French	1,298	9.5%
Arab	352	2.6%
Dutch	242	1.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	91	0.7%
Polish	73	0.5%
German	32	0.2%
Irish	6	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.6%
Internet access	94.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81520

What city is ZIP code 81520 in?

ZIP code 81520 is primarily assigned to Clifton, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81520 in?

ZIP code 81520 falls within Mesa County, Colorado.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 81520?

20% of residents in ZIP code 81520 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 81520?

13% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the population of ZIP code 81520?

ZIP code 81520 has an estimated population of 13,682 residents, with a density of 666 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 81520?

The median household income in ZIP code 81520 is $49,796, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 81520 in?

ZIP code 81520 observes the MST timezone.