86504 ZIP Code — Fort Defiance, AZ

Apache County, Arizona

ZIP code 86504 is located in Fort Defiance, Arizona, within Apache County. It covers approximately 201.62 square miles and serves a population of 5,909 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 928.

About ZIP code 86504

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $35,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

Median household income is $41,738. Poverty affects 31% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 36% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 32% 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 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 12% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (17%), smoking (28%) compared to national benchmarks. 48% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 86504 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.

5,909

population

201.62

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

86504 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 86504

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 86504. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Fort Defiance	Acceptable

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	5,909
Population density	29 / sq mi
State FIPS	04
County FIPS	001

Geography
Land area	201.62 sq mi
Water area	0.20 sq mi
Latitude	35.7787
Longitude	-109.1819
Timezone	Mountain (MT)
Area code	928

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	62.6%	64.4%	40.6%
$50k – $100k	22.5%	24.1%	31.9%
$100k – $200k	13.3%	10.9%	21.1%
Over $200k	1.6%	0.6%	6.4%

Demographics & statistics

5,909

Population

People per sq mi

34.0

Median age

$41,738

Median household income

$18,762

Per capita income

$35,600

Median home value

$695

Median monthly rent

71.3%

Home ownership

30.8%

Poverty rate

10.3%

Unemployment

1,681

Housing units

11.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

128

Under 5

147

141

5–9

162

247

10–14

284

225

15–19

259

277

20–24

320

381

25–34

440

318

35–44

367

282

45–54

325

243

55–59

280

120

60–64

138

215

65–74

247

130

75–84

150

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,431	24.2%
18 and over	4,478	75.8%
65 and over	825	14.0%
Median age	34.0 years

Race & ethnicity

American Indian / Alaska Native 91.4%

Two or more races 3.3%

White 1.7%

Hispanic or Latino 1.6%

Asian 0.8%

Black or African American 0.6%

Other race 0.5%

Group	Count	%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5,487	91.4%
Two or more races	199	3.3%
White	103	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	97	1.6%
Asian	47	0.8%
Black or African American	38	0.6%
Other race	32	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	62.6%	64.4%	40.6%
$50k – $100k	22.5%	24.1%	31.9%
$100k – $200k	13.3%	10.9%	21.1%
Over $200k	1.6%	0.6%	6.4%

Under $10k 19.6%

$10k–$15k 8.3%

$15k–$25k 8.2%

$25k–$35k 10.0%

$35k–$50k 14.2%

$50k–$75k 13.0%

$75k–$100k 11.8%

$100k–$150k 9.0%

$150k–$200k 3.5%

$200k+ 2.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	19.6%
$10k–$15k	8.3%
$15k–$25k	8.2%
$25k–$35k	10.0%
$35k–$50k	14.2%
$50k–$75k	13.0%
$75k–$100k	11.8%
$100k–$150k	9.0%
$150k–$200k	3.5%
$200k+	2.5%
Median income	$41,738

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 56.3%

$50k–$100k 30.3%

$100k–$150k 7.0%

$150k–$200k 1.9%

$200k–$300k 3.8%

$300k–$500k 0.4%

$500k–$1M 0.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$35,600
Median rent / month	$695
Owner occupied	71.3%
Renter occupied	28.7%
Vacant	24.8%
Single-family detached	72.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	21.8%
Median rooms	4.4
Avg household size (owned)	3.87

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.1%
2010–2019	2.9%
2000–2009	11.4%
1990–1999	12.4%
1980–1989	16.9%
1970–1979	32.4%
1960–1969	13.9%
1950–1959	4.9%
1940–1949	1.4%
1939 or earlier	2.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	12.8%
1 bedroom	12.5%
2 bedrooms	26.0%
3 bedrooms	38.6%
4 bedrooms	8.3%
5+ bedrooms	1.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	16.2%
1 vehicle	30.6%
2 vehicles	35.2%
3 or more	18.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	28.1%
Electricity	12.2%
Propane / LP gas	5.3%
Wood	47.6%
No fuel used	6.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	424	26.3%
Cohabiting couple	100	6.2%
Male householder, no spouse	353	21.9%
Female householder, no spouse	736	45.6%
Households with children under 18	511	31.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	593	36.8%
Average household size	3.66

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	61.0%	51.5%
Married	23.7%	21.0%
Separated	3.4%	5.7%
Widowed	3.7%	10.8%
Divorced	8.1%	11.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.1%

Some HS, no diploma 9.0%

HS graduate 33.0%

Some college, no degree 33.4%

Associate's degree 7.9%

Bachelor's degree 7.5%

Graduate / professional 4.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.9%
Bachelor's or higher	11.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	84	5.5%
Kindergarten	60	3.9%
Elementary school	673	43.7%
High school	447	29.0%
College / grad school	277	18.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 30.9%

Public administration 20.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 14.1%

Transportation & utilities 9.7%

Retail trade 7.4%

Construction 4.4%

Finance & real estate 3.7%

Professional & management 3.2%

Manufacturing 2.8%

Information 1.5%

Other services 1.0%

Agriculture & mining 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.1%
Service	26.2%
Sales & office	20.8%
Natural resources & construction	9.7%
Production & transportation	14.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	52.8%
Government	45.2%
Self-employed	2.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.3%
Carpool	3.6%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	4.5%
Work from home	7.3%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.3

Poverty

All people 30.8%

Under 18 years 36.5%

18 and over 29.0%

Married-couple families 15.8%

Female-led households 35.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.1%
Retirement income	20.5%
Supplemental Security	10.5%
Cash public assistance	0.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	36.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.2%
High blood pressure	34.3%
High cholesterol	25.6%
Diabetes	17.4%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	5.6%
Asthma	13.9%
Arthritis	23.7%
Kidney disease	4.5%
Pulmonary disease	10.7%
Cancer	5.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	28.4%
Binge drinking	14.4%
No physical activity	27.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.8%
Depression	21.3%
Fair or poor health	26.8%
Poor mental health	21.7%
Poor physical health	18.2%
No health insurance	16.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	69.0%
Visited dentist	46.2%
Cholesterol screening	84.5%
Teeth loss	27.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	209	4.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.4%
Under 18	1.2%
18–64 years	15.0%
65 and over	70.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	22.5%
Public insurance	35.0%
No insurance	48.4%
Uninsured under 19	59.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,634	95.3%
Spanish	162	2.9%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,871	99.4%
Born in same state	5,867	99.3%
Born in different state	4,559	77.2%
Foreign born	4	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	38	0.6%
Not a US citizen	28	73.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
English	17	0.3%
Italian	12	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	9	0.2%
French	8	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	27.3%
Internet access	57.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 86504

What city is ZIP code 86504 in?

ZIP code 86504 is primarily assigned to Fort Defiance, Arizona.

What county is ZIP code 86504 in?

ZIP code 86504 falls within Apache County, Arizona.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 86504?

31% of residents in ZIP code 86504 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 86504?

12% 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 typical home value in ZIP code 86504?

The median home value in ZIP code 86504 is $35,600.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 86504?

Health data for ZIP code 86504 shows elevated rates of diabetes (17%) and smoking (28%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 86504 in?

ZIP code 86504 observes the MST timezone.