81427 ZIP Code — Ouray, CO

Ouray County, Colorado

ZIP code 81427 is located in Ouray, Colorado, within Ouray County. It covers approximately 74.72 square miles and serves a population of 1,227 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 970.

About ZIP code 81427

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $506,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $71,488. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average. 54% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 13 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 52% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

21% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 81427 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,227

population

74.72

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81427 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81427

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81427. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ouray	Acceptable

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,227
Population density	16 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	091

Geography
Land area	74.72 sq mi
Water area	0.05 sq mi
Latitude	37.9678
Longitude	-107.6741
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	28.4%	36.7%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	46.2%	36.0%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	19.6%	20.4%	26.9%
Over $200k	5.8%	6.8%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

1,227

Population

People per sq mi

50.5

Median age

$71,488

Median household income

$40,873

Per capita income

$506,500

Median home value

$940

Median monthly rent

75.1%

Home ownership

4.3%

Poverty rate

4.1%

Unemployment

849

Housing units

52.0%

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

119

65–74

123

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	170	13.9%
18 and over	1,057	86.1%
65 and over	408	33.3%
Median age	50.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.5%

Black or African American 5.1%

Two or more races 3.9%

Hispanic or Latino 3.5%

Asian 0.8%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	1,100	86.5%
Black or African American	65	5.1%
Two or more races	49	3.9%
Hispanic or Latino	44	3.5%
Asian	10	0.8%
Other race	3	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	28.4%	36.7%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	46.2%	36.0%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	19.6%	20.4%	26.9%
Over $200k	5.8%	6.8%	9.6%

Under $10k 4.5%

$15k–$25k 8.8%

$25k–$35k 10.7%

$35k–$50k 8.1%

$50k–$75k 19.5%

$75k–$100k 15.2%

$100k–$150k 22.0%

$200k+ 11.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.5%
$15k–$25k	8.8%
$25k–$35k	10.7%
$35k–$50k	8.1%
$50k–$75k	19.5%
$75k–$100k	15.2%
$100k–$150k	22.0%
$200k+	11.3%
Median income	$71,488

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.6%

$50k–$100k 3.6%

$100k–$150k 6.4%

$200k–$300k 7.9%

$300k–$500k 28.6%

$500k–$1M 45.0%

$1M+ 6.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$506,500
Median rent / month	$940
Owner occupied	75.1%
Renter occupied	24.9%
Vacant	43.4%
Single-family detached	60.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	7.7%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	1.97

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.1%
2000–2009	22.7%
1990–1999	11.7%
1980–1989	7.5%
1970–1979	19.4%
1960–1969	4.1%
1950–1959	7.2%
1940–1949	1.5%
1939 or earlier	21.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.6%
1 bedroom	6.6%
2 bedrooms	31.8%
3 bedrooms	30.8%
4 bedrooms	19.7%
5+ bedrooms	5.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.7%
1 vehicle	28.8%
2 vehicles	42.2%
3 or more	23.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	53.5%
Electricity	21.8%
Propane / LP gas	12.0%
Wood	12.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	304	54.4%
Cohabiting couple	38	6.8%
Male householder, no spouse	72	12.9%
Female householder, no spouse	145	25.9%
Households with children under 18	91	16.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	297	53.1%
Average household size	2.19

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.8%	28.2%
Married	57.6%	55.4%
Separated	0.0%	0.9%
Widowed	9.1%	2.4%
Divorced	9.5%	13.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.9%

Some HS, no diploma 2.6%

HS graduate 13.1%

Some college, no degree 22.6%

Associate's degree 8.9%

Bachelor's degree 36.1%

Graduate / professional 15.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.5%
Bachelor's or higher	52.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	91	54.2%
High school	57	33.9%
College / grad school	20	11.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 20.8%

Education & healthcare 18.0%

Finance & real estate 12.3%

Professional & management 12.0%

Public administration 8.1%

Retail trade 6.7%

Other services 6.7%

Manufacturing 5.3%

Transportation & utilities 4.1%

Information 2.9%

Construction 2.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	55.7%
Service	19.9%
Sales & office	23.0%
Natural resources & construction	1.4%
Production & transportation	0.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.3%
Government	23.2%
Self-employed	7.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	53.3%
Carpool	18.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	16.0%
Work from home	11.8%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	12.9

Poverty

All people 4.3%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 5.0%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	53.8%
Retirement income	36.7%
Supplemental Security	1.1%
Cash public assistance	4.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	24.0%
High blood pressure	28.3%
High cholesterol	32.4%
Diabetes	8.2%
Heart disease	5.8%
Stroke	2.6%
Asthma	9.4%
Arthritis	24.8%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	5.6%
Cancer	7.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	12.4%
Binge drinking	17.2%
No physical activity	14.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.5%
Depression	18.6%
Fair or poor health	9.6%
Poor mental health	11.9%
Poor physical health	8.7%
No health insurance	9.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.7%
Visited dentist	70.8%
Cholesterol screening	93.2%
Teeth loss	7.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	152	14.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.5%
Under 18	8.2%
18–64 years	6.3%
65 and over	27.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	50.6%
Public insurance	36.4%
No insurance	21.1%
Uninsured under 19	13.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,205	98.2%
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)	1,180	96.2%
Born in same state	1,149	93.6%
Born in different state	233	19.0%
Foreign born	31	2.5%
Naturalized citizen	47	3.8%
Not a US citizen	33	70.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	185	15.1%
Italian	134	10.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	33	2.7%
Polish	13	1.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.6%
Internet access	91.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81427

What city is ZIP code 81427 in?

ZIP code 81427 is primarily assigned to Ouray, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81427 in?

ZIP code 81427 falls within Ouray County, Colorado.

Does ZIP code 81427 have an older population?

33% of residents in ZIP code 81427 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 81427 have a large retiree population?

54% of households in ZIP code 81427 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 81427?

52% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Does ZIP code 81427 have a large veteran population?

14% of civilians in ZIP code 81427 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 81427 in?

ZIP code 81427 observes the MST timezone.