81321 ZIP Code — Cortez, CO

Montezuma County, Colorado

ZIP code 81321 is located in Cortez, Colorado, within Montezuma County. It covers approximately 419.60 square miles and serves a population of 14,649 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 970.

About ZIP code 81321

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 $248,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 72%.

Median household income is $59,571. 46% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

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

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 28% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

14,649

population

419.60

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81321 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81321

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81321. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cortez	Acceptable
Cortez	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

81331 Pleasant View (10.2 mi) 81335 Yellow Jacket (10.3 mi) 81327 Lewis (12.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	14,649
Population density	35 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	083

Geography
Land area	419.60 sq mi
Water area	0.44 sq mi
Latitude	37.3472
Longitude	-108.7338
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	49.2%	49.4%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	35.1%	33.6%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	13.9%	13.9%	26.9%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.1%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

14,649

Population

People per sq mi

42.7

Median age

$59,571

Median household income

$29,889

Per capita income

$248,100

Median home value

$928

Median monthly rent

71.8%

Home ownership

12.1%

Poverty rate

6.3%

Unemployment

4,909

Housing units

28.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

239

Under 5

251

493

5–9

516

524

10–14

548

399

15–19

418

344

20–24

359

837

25–34

876

908

35–44

949

679

45–54

711

352

55–59

368

683

60–64

714

1,065

65–74

1,114

453

75–84

474

183

85+

192

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,118	21.3%
18 and over	11,531	78.7%
65 and over	3,481	23.8%
Median age	42.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 73.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 7.8%

Two or more races 7.7%

Hispanic or Latino 6%

Other race 3.1%

Asian 1.2%

Black or African American 1%

Group	Count	%
White	11,419	73.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1,212	7.8%
Two or more races	1,205	7.7%
Hispanic or Latino	930	6%
Other race	477	3.1%
Asian	180	1.2%
Black or African American	156	1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.2%	49.4%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	35.1%	33.6%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	13.9%	13.9%	26.9%
Over $200k	1.8%	3.1%	9.6%

Under $10k 4.2%

$10k–$15k 2.7%

$15k–$25k 12.8%

$25k–$35k 7.4%

$35k–$50k 15.2%

$50k–$75k 20.5%

$75k–$100k 12.2%

$100k–$150k 16.0%

$150k–$200k 3.2%

$200k+ 5.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.2%
$10k–$15k	2.7%
$15k–$25k	12.8%
$25k–$35k	7.4%
$35k–$50k	15.2%
$50k–$75k	20.5%
$75k–$100k	12.2%
$100k–$150k	16.0%
$150k–$200k	3.2%
$200k+	5.8%
Median income	$59,571

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.8%

$50k–$100k 4.7%

$100k–$150k 13.5%

$150k–$200k 15.1%

$200k–$300k 19.4%

$300k–$500k 31.3%

$500k–$1M 8.3%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$248,100
Median rent / month	$928
Owner occupied	71.8%
Renter occupied	28.2%
Vacant	13.0%
Single-family detached	61.4%
Large apartment buildings	2.5%
Mobile homes	22.2%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.63

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.9%
2010–2019	6.9%
2000–2009	11.5%
1990–1999	15.8%
1980–1989	10.5%
1970–1979	19.5%
1960–1969	7.6%
1950–1959	15.4%
1940–1949	6.5%
1939 or earlier	5.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.3%
1 bedroom	7.4%
2 bedrooms	31.9%
3 bedrooms	48.3%
4 bedrooms	9.2%
5+ bedrooms	1.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.2%
1 vehicle	28.4%
2 vehicles	40.4%
3 or more	27.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	53.9%
Electricity	15.3%
Propane / LP gas	20.3%
Fuel oil	0.6%
Wood	8.4%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,692	47.5%
Cohabiting couple	522	9.2%
Male householder, no spouse	1,011	17.9%
Female householder, no spouse	1,437	25.4%
Households with children under 18	1,607	28.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,475	43.7%
Average household size	2.55

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.0%	22.0%
Married	49.9%	50.0%
Separated	0.0%	3.0%
Widowed	2.3%	9.3%
Divorced	17.7%	15.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.4%

Some HS, no diploma 5.4%

HS graduate 34.6%

Some college, no degree 22.8%

Associate's degree 6.7%

Bachelor's degree 16.5%

Graduate / professional 11.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.2%
Bachelor's or higher	28.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	83	2.7%
Kindergarten	280	9.2%
Elementary school	1,668	54.6%
High school	812	26.6%
College / grad school	213	7.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.4%

Retail trade 13.1%

Professional & management 10.5%

Public administration 8.8%

Construction 7.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.2%

Transportation & utilities 6.7%

Agriculture & mining 5.6%

Manufacturing 5.3%

Finance & real estate 5.3%

Wholesale trade 2.9%

Other services 2.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.1%
Service	19.3%
Sales & office	22.0%
Natural resources & construction	14.6%
Production & transportation	9.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.7%
Government	27.3%
Self-employed	4.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.4%
Carpool	7.4%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	1.7%
Work from home	6.5%
Other means	3.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.3

Poverty

All people 12.1%

Under 18 years 7.2%

18 and over 13.4%

Married-couple families 4.4%

Female-led households 8.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.7%
Retirement income	27.5%
Supplemental Security	6.0%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	13.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	26.5%
High blood pressure	31.4%
High cholesterol	32.4%
Diabetes	10.2%
Heart disease	7.3%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	27.2%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.2%
Binge drinking	16.8%
No physical activity	22.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.2%
Depression	20.8%
Fair or poor health	14.9%
Poor mental health	14.6%
Poor physical health	11.5%
No health insurance	14.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	67.3%
Visited dentist	57.3%
Cholesterol screening	89.8%
Teeth loss	15.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,192	10.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.4%
Under 18	0.4%
18–64 years	16.3%
65 and over	35.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	50.1%
Public insurance	52.8%
No insurance	14.0%
Uninsured under 19	22.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	14,159	96.7%
Spanish	510	3.6%
Other Indo-European	74	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	4	0.0%
Other languages	115	0.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	14,118	96.4%
Born in same state	13,961	95.3%
Born in different state	6,297	43.0%
Foreign born	157	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	531	3.6%
Not a US citizen	263	49.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,459	10%
Italian	1,404	9.6%
Arab	953	6.5%
English	315	2.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	149	1%
Dutch	55	0.4%
Irish	53	0.4%
German	13	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.7%
Internet access	90.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81321

What city is ZIP code 81321 in?

ZIP code 81321 is primarily assigned to Cortez, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81321 in?

ZIP code 81321 falls within Montezuma County, Colorado.

Does ZIP code 81321 have a large retiree population?

46% of households in ZIP code 81321 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 81321 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 81321 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 81321?

ZIP code 81321 has an estimated population of 14,649 residents, with a density of 35 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 81321?

The median household income in ZIP code 81321 is $59,571, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 81321 in?

ZIP code 81321 observes the MST timezone.