81526 ZIP Code — Palisade, CO

Mesa County, Colorado

ZIP code 81526 is located in Palisade, Colorado, within Mesa County. It covers approximately 72.37 square miles and serves a population of 5,110 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 970.

About ZIP code 81526

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 $384,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $79,801. 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 28 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 23% of workers work from home.

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

Overall, ZIP code 81526 reflects a community defined by high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

5,110

population

72.37

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81526 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81526

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81526. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Palisade	Acceptable
Palisade	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

81520 Clifton (4 mi) 81504 Grand Junction (5.1 mi) 81506 Grand Junction (10 mi) 81501 Grand Junction (10.6 mi) 81503 Grand Junction (12.2 mi) 81505 Grand Junction (14.1 mi) 81527 Whitewater (14.9 mi) 81507 Grand Junction (15.5 mi) 81521 Fruita (18.6 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	5,110
Population density	71 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	077

Geography
Land area	72.37 sq mi
Water area	0.61 sq mi
Latitude	39.0948
Longitude	-108.3577
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	49.0%	44.7%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	26.6%	32.7%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	19.9%	18.9%	26.9%
Over $200k	4.5%	3.7%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

5,110

Population

People per sq mi

51.5

Median age

$79,801

Median household income

$41,102

Per capita income

$384,000

Median home value

$1,038

Median monthly rent

79.1%

Home ownership

10.3%

Poverty rate

6.5%

Unemployment

1,919

Housing units

32.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

125

Under 5

125

115

5–9

116

105

10–14

106

15–19

20–24

202

25–34

203

374

35–44

375

302

45–54

302

247

55–59

248

340

60–64

342

391

65–74

392

105

75–84

105

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	824	16.1%
18 and over	4,286	83.9%
65 and over	1,122	22.0%
Median age	51.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.1%

Two or more races 7.1%

Hispanic or Latino 5.4%

Other race 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Black or African American 0.2%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	4,649	86.1%
Two or more races	383	7.1%
Hispanic or Latino	292	5.4%
Other race	33	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	31	0.6%
Black or African American	9	0.2%
Asian	5	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.0%	44.7%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	26.6%	32.7%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	19.9%	18.9%	26.9%
Over $200k	4.5%	3.7%	9.6%

Under $10k 3.2%

$10k–$15k 1.6%

$15k–$25k 11.6%

$25k–$35k 9.3%

$35k–$50k 9.6%

$50k–$75k 9.7%

$75k–$100k 22.9%

$100k–$150k 13.9%

$150k–$200k 7.8%

$200k+ 10.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.2%
$10k–$15k	1.6%
$15k–$25k	11.6%
$25k–$35k	9.3%
$35k–$50k	9.6%
$50k–$75k	9.7%
$75k–$100k	22.9%
$100k–$150k	13.9%
$150k–$200k	7.8%
$200k+	10.4%
Median income	$79,801

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.5%

$50k–$100k 6.3%

$100k–$150k 2.9%

$150k–$200k 5.5%

$200k–$300k 13.0%

$300k–$500k 33.8%

$500k–$1M 29.9%

$1M+ 2.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$384,000
Median rent / month	$1,038
Owner occupied	79.1%
Renter occupied	20.9%
Vacant	7.6%
Single-family detached	70.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	14.3%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.32

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	5.7%
2000–2009	8.7%
1990–1999	20.2%
1980–1989	21.3%
1970–1979	16.0%
1960–1969	5.5%
1950–1959	4.1%
1940–1949	5.8%
1939 or earlier	12.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	4.5%
2 bedrooms	25.7%
3 bedrooms	51.5%
4 bedrooms	12.6%
5+ bedrooms	5.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.2%
1 vehicle	29.5%
2 vehicles	29.9%
3 or more	37.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	82.4%
Electricity	10.2%
Propane / LP gas	3.2%
Wood	3.5%
Solar	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,158	52.7%
Cohabiting couple	45	2.0%
Male householder, no spouse	332	15.1%
Female householder, no spouse	662	30.1%
Households with children under 18	419	19.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	894	40.7%
Average household size	2.28

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.6%	12.8%
Married	60.2%	54.3%
Separated	0.6%	0.9%
Widowed	1.6%	13.0%
Divorced	11.0%	19.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.2%

Some HS, no diploma 10.1%

HS graduate 23.9%

Some college, no degree 23.1%

Associate's degree 10.3%

Bachelor's degree 21.3%

Graduate / professional 11.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.7%
Bachelor's or higher	32.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	70	10.3%
Kindergarten	18	2.6%
Elementary school	310	45.5%
High school	184	27.0%
College / grad school	99	14.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.9%

Construction 15.9%

Professional & management 14.2%

Retail trade 12.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.5%

Manufacturing 5.8%

Transportation & utilities 5.4%

Agriculture & mining 4.5%

Finance & real estate 4.3%

Other services 4.0%

Public administration 3.5%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Information 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.5%
Service	16.7%
Sales & office	25.1%
Natural resources & construction	10.3%
Production & transportation	14.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.6%
Government	13.2%
Self-employed	12.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	62.5%
Carpool	4.7%
Public transit	1.9%
Walk	5.6%
Work from home	22.7%
Other means	2.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.4

Poverty

All people 10.3%

Under 18 years 11.8%

18 and over 10.0%

Married-couple families 5.4%

Female-led households 9.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.4%
Retirement income	29.4%
Supplemental Security	4.4%
Cash public assistance	0.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.4%
High blood pressure	30.7%
High cholesterol	32.7%
Diabetes	9.8%
Heart disease	7.2%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	27.9%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.8%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.2%
Binge drinking	16.7%
No physical activity	19.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.5%
Depression	20.5%
Fair or poor health	14.1%
Poor mental health	13.7%
Poor physical health	11.3%
No health insurance	13.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.9%
Visited dentist	63.0%
Cholesterol screening	90.8%
Teeth loss	14.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	345	8.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.1%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	14.4%
65 and over	37.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	59.9%
Public insurance	39.5%
No insurance	11.8%
Uninsured under 19	14.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,860	95.1%
Spanish	19	0.4%
Other Indo-European	19	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,964	97.1%
Born in same state	4,936	96.6%
Born in different state	2,272	44.5%
Foreign born	28	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	146	2.9%
Not a US citizen	51	34.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	927	18.1%
French	855	16.7%
Arab	254	5%
Polish	110	2.2%
English	100	2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	58	1.1%
Dutch	30	0.6%
German	6	0.1%
Norwegian	2	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.0%
Internet access	97.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81526

What city is ZIP code 81526 in?

ZIP code 81526 is primarily assigned to Palisade, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81526 in?

ZIP code 81526 falls within Mesa County, Colorado.

Does ZIP code 81526 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 81526 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 81526?

The median home value in ZIP code 81526 is $384,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 81526?

ZIP code 81526 has an estimated population of 5,110 residents, with a density of 71 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 81526?

The median household income in ZIP code 81526 is $79,801, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 81526 in?

ZIP code 81526 observes the MST timezone.