81235 ZIP Code — Lake City, CO

Hinsdale County, Colorado

ZIP code 81235 is located in Lake City, Colorado, within Hinsdale County. It covers approximately 534.61 square miles and serves a population of 829 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 970.

About ZIP code 81235

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $386,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($59,205) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 52% 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 8 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 45% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 81235 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

829

population

534.61

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81235 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81235

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81235. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lake City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

81130 Creede (17.7 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	829
Population density	2 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	053

Geography
Land area	534.61 sq mi
Water area	1.51 sq mi
Latitude	37.7850
Longitude	-107.2960
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	57.4%	57.4%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	22.1%	22.1%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	12.3%	26.9%
Over $200k	8.1%	8.1%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

829

Population

People per sq mi

56.2

Median age

$59,205

Median household income

$47,743

Per capita income

$386,100

Median home value

$979

Median monthly rent

76.8%

Home ownership

8.1%

Poverty rate

2.0%

Unemployment

946

Housing units

45.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	101	12.2%
18 and over	728	87.8%
65 and over	258	31.1%
Median age	56.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.2%

Two or more races 6.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%

Black or African American 1.1%

Hispanic or Latino 0.6%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	752	90.2%
Two or more races	55	6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	12	1.4%
Black or African American	9	1.1%
Hispanic or Latino	5	0.6%
Asian	1	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.4%	57.4%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	22.1%	22.1%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	12.3%	26.9%
Over $200k	8.1%	8.1%	9.6%

Under $10k 3.0%

$10k–$15k 5.9%

$15k–$25k 9.3%

$25k–$35k 8.0%

$35k–$50k 16.2%

$50k–$75k 19.1%

$75k–$100k 9.6%

$100k–$150k 8.7%

$150k–$200k 10.3%

$200k+ 10.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.0%
$10k–$15k	5.9%
$15k–$25k	9.3%
$25k–$35k	8.0%
$35k–$50k	16.2%
$50k–$75k	19.1%
$75k–$100k	9.6%
$100k–$150k	8.7%
$150k–$200k	10.3%
$200k+	10.0%
Median income	$59,205

Housing

Home values

$50k–$100k 2.7%

$100k–$150k 2.1%

$150k–$200k 5.6%

$200k–$300k 24.0%

$300k–$500k 35.6%

$500k–$1M 22.8%

$1M+ 7.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$386,100
Median rent / month	$979
Owner occupied	76.8%
Renter occupied	23.2%
Vacant	58.1%
Single-family detached	86.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	2.9%
Median rooms	4.6
Avg household size (owned)	1.89

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.1%
2000–2009	15.1%
1990–1999	17.9%
1980–1989	24.9%
1970–1979	17.8%
1960–1969	5.9%
1950–1959	3.7%
1940–1949	0.7%
1939 or earlier	9.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.6%
1 bedroom	13.5%
2 bedrooms	32.6%
3 bedrooms	38.1%
4 bedrooms	13.1%
5+ bedrooms	1.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.6%
1 vehicle	39.0%
2 vehicles	29.8%
3 or more	29.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.8%
Electricity	13.0%
Propane / LP gas	56.9%
Wood	27.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	215	49.0%
Cohabiting couple	27	6.2%
Male householder, no spouse	65	14.8%
Female householder, no spouse	132	30.1%
Households with children under 18	93	21.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	179	40.8%
Average household size	1.89

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	16.4%	11.3%
Married	71.0%	56.3%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	3.7%	16.7%
Divorced	8.9%	15.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 1.7%

HS graduate 15.6%

Some college, no degree 33.5%

Associate's degree 3.8%

Bachelor's degree 25.1%

Graduate / professional 20.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.3%
Bachelor's or higher	45.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	8	6.9%
Kindergarten	23	19.8%
Elementary school	37	31.9%
High school	21	18.1%
College / grad school	27	23.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 16.2%

Professional & management 15.1%

Other services 12.0%

Retail trade 11.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.2%

Construction 8.4%

Transportation & utilities 7.6%

Finance & real estate 6.0%

Public administration 5.5%

Manufacturing 3.9%

Information 3.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	41.0%
Service	29.8%
Sales & office	17.0%
Natural resources & construction	7.3%
Production & transportation	5.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	65.8%
Government	23.8%
Self-employed	10.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	57.7%
Carpool	6.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	24.5%
Work from home	11.2%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	8.0

Poverty

All people 8.1%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 9.2%

Married-couple families 2.8%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	52.2%
Retirement income	25.3%
Supplemental Security	3.2%
Cash public assistance	8.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	23.9%
High blood pressure	29.6%
High cholesterol	33.2%
Diabetes	8.6%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	25.3%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	7.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	13.9%
Binge drinking	17.5%
No physical activity	16.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.3%
Depression	19.7%
Fair or poor health	10.8%
Poor mental health	12.8%
Poor physical health	9.4%
No health insurance	9.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.7%
Visited dentist	68.4%
Cholesterol screening	92.0%
Teeth loss	9.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	71	9.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.7%
Under 18	11.9%
18–64 years	10.9%
65 and over	35.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.5%
Public insurance	50.5%
No insurance	13.9%
Uninsured under 19	8.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	806	97.2%
Spanish	0	0.0%
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)	824	99.4%
Born in same state	819	98.8%
Born in different state	201	24.2%
Foreign born	5	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	5	0.6%
Not a US citizen	1	20.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	232	28%
Italian	155	18.7%
Arab	19	2.3%
English	10	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	10	1.2%
Polish	7	0.8%
German	6	0.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	53.0%
Internet access	95.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81235

What city is ZIP code 81235 in?

ZIP code 81235 is primarily assigned to Lake City, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81235 in?

ZIP code 81235 falls within Hinsdale County, Colorado.

Does ZIP code 81235 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 81235 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 81235 have a large retiree population?

52% of households in ZIP code 81235 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 81235?

45% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 81235?

The median home value in ZIP code 81235 is $386,100.

What timezone is ZIP code 81235 in?

ZIP code 81235 observes the MST timezone.