81521 ZIP Code — Fruita, CO

Mesa County, Colorado

ZIP code 81521 is located in Fruita, Colorado, within Mesa County. It covers approximately 181.59 square miles and serves a population of 16,431 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 970.

About ZIP code 81521

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $360,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($73,826) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 37% 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.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 32% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 81521 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

16,431

population

181.59

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81521 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81521

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81521. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Fruita	Acceptable
Fruita	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

81505 Grand Junction (4.6 mi) 81524 Loma (7.8 mi) 81506 Grand Junction (8.6 mi) 81507 Grand Junction (11.8 mi) 81501 Grand Junction (12.2 mi) 81503 Grand Junction (12.8 mi) 81504 Grand Junction (14 mi) 81525 Mack (14.2 mi) 81630 De Beque (14.5 mi) 81520 Clifton (15.6 mi) 81526 Palisade (18.6 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	16,431
Population density	90 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	077

Geography
Land area	181.59 sq mi
Water area	2.30 sq mi
Latitude	39.2247
Longitude	-108.6614
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	45.9%	44.7%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	35.0%	32.7%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	16.9%	18.9%	26.9%
Over $200k	2.2%	3.7%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

16,431

Population

People per sq mi

41.5

Median age

$73,826

Median household income

$38,509

Per capita income

$360,800

Median home value

$1,328

Median monthly rent

80.3%

Home ownership

5.3%

Poverty rate

4.2%

Unemployment

5,012

Housing units

32.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

343

Under 5

373

516

5–9

561

697

10–14

756

712

15–19

774

301

20–24

327

802

25–34

871

1,003

35–44

1,089

1,118

45–54

1,214

469

55–59

509

376

60–64

408

747

65–74

812

534

75–84

579

259

85+

281

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,382	26.7%
18 and over	12,049	73.3%
65 and over	3,212	19.5%
Median age	41.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 78.3%

Hispanic or Latino 8.8%

Two or more races 8.3%

Other race 1.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%

Black or African American 0.8%

Asian 0.7%

Group	Count	%
White	14,121	78.3%
Hispanic or Latino	1,592	8.8%
Two or more races	1,488	8.3%
Other race	318	1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	221	1.2%
Black or African American	152	0.8%
Asian	131	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.9%	44.7%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	35.0%	32.7%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	16.9%	18.9%	26.9%
Over $200k	2.2%	3.7%	9.6%

Under $10k 3.4%

$10k–$15k 1.8%

$15k–$25k 7.9%

$25k–$35k 3.8%

$35k–$50k 12.0%

$50k–$75k 23.1%

$75k–$100k 13.1%

$100k–$150k 16.2%

$150k–$200k 9.1%

$200k+ 9.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.4%
$10k–$15k	1.8%
$15k–$25k	7.9%
$25k–$35k	3.8%
$35k–$50k	12.0%
$50k–$75k	23.1%
$75k–$100k	13.1%
$100k–$150k	16.2%
$150k–$200k	9.1%
$200k+	9.7%
Median income	$73,826

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.0%

$50k–$100k 0.9%

$100k–$150k 2.0%

$150k–$200k 7.2%

$200k–$300k 20.7%

$300k–$500k 46.4%

$500k–$1M 12.7%

$1M+ 6.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$360,800
Median rent / month	$1,328
Owner occupied	80.3%
Renter occupied	19.7%
Vacant	2.6%
Single-family detached	82.0%
Large apartment buildings	1.7%
Mobile homes	7.9%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.73

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.0%
2010–2019	10.0%
2000–2009	33.6%
1990–1999	20.6%
1980–1989	11.0%
1970–1979	10.6%
1960–1969	1.8%
1950–1959	1.2%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	10.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.3%
1 bedroom	2.4%
2 bedrooms	13.5%
3 bedrooms	53.6%
4 bedrooms	25.0%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.0%
1 vehicle	29.9%
2 vehicles	35.1%
3 or more	31.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	80.9%
Electricity	14.2%
Propane / LP gas	1.6%
Wood	1.2%
Solar	2.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,508	58.1%
Cohabiting couple	170	2.8%
Male householder, no spouse	873	14.5%
Female householder, no spouse	1,486	24.6%
Households with children under 18	2,250	37.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,268	37.6%
Average household size	2.71

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.5%	20.2%
Married	58.2%	54.5%
Separated	0.0%	0.7%
Widowed	3.1%	9.4%
Divorced	11.1%	15.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.6%

Some HS, no diploma 5.4%

HS graduate 33.2%

Some college, no degree 22.2%

Associate's degree 6.4%

Bachelor's degree 22.8%

Graduate / professional 9.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.0%
Bachelor's or higher	32.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	241	5.4%
Kindergarten	124	2.8%
Elementary school	1,845	41.5%
High school	1,726	38.8%
College / grad school	514	11.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.9%

Professional & management 12.0%

Construction 10.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.6%

Retail trade 9.6%

Agriculture & mining 6.8%

Transportation & utilities 6.3%

Public administration 4.9%

Wholesale trade 3.9%

Manufacturing 3.7%

Finance & real estate 2.5%

Other services 2.4%

Information 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	41.8%
Service	17.3%
Sales & office	15.2%
Natural resources & construction	11.5%
Production & transportation	14.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.1%
Government	16.1%
Self-employed	8.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.5%
Carpool	10.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.4%
Work from home	9.7%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.9

Poverty

All people 5.3%

Under 18 years 4.8%

18 and over 5.4%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 18.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.5%
Retirement income	28.2%
Supplemental Security	1.3%
Cash public assistance	1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.6%
High blood pressure	27.0%
High cholesterol	29.0%
Diabetes	8.5%
Heart disease	5.9%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	10.4%
Arthritis	24.3%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	6.9%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.3%
Binge drinking	18.5%
No physical activity	19.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.5%
Depression	21.6%
Fair or poor health	13.2%
Poor mental health	14.8%
Poor physical health	10.5%
No health insurance	14.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	66.2%
Visited dentist	61.5%
Cholesterol screening	88.6%
Teeth loss	14.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,277	10.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.4%
Under 18	2.8%
18–64 years	7.6%
65 and over	34.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.5%
Public insurance	34.4%
No insurance	8.4%
Uninsured under 19	3.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	15,715	95.6%
Spanish	41	0.3%
Other Indo-European	41	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	16,230	98.8%
Born in same state	16,077	97.8%
Born in different state	8,968	54.6%
Foreign born	153	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	201	1.2%
Not a US citizen	121	60.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,582	15.7%
Italian	2,175	13.2%
Arab	927	5.6%
English	372	2.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	111	0.7%
Dutch	108	0.7%
Irish	39	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.7%
Internet access	91.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81521

What city is ZIP code 81521 in?

ZIP code 81521 is primarily assigned to Fruita, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81521 in?

ZIP code 81521 falls within Mesa County, Colorado.

Is ZIP code 81521 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 81521 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 81521 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 81521 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 81521 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 81521 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 81521?

The median home value in ZIP code 81521 is $360,800.

What timezone is ZIP code 81521 in?

ZIP code 81521 observes the MST timezone.