81211 ZIP Code — Buena Vista, CO

Chaffee County, Colorado

ZIP code 81211 is located in Buena Vista, Colorado, within Chaffee County. It covers approximately 477.68 square miles and serves a population of 8,007 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 719.

About ZIP code 81211

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 $485,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 63%.

Median household income is $60,529. 41% 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 18 minutes is near the national average.

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

8,007

population

477.68

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81211 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81211

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81211. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Buena Vista	Acceptable
Buena Vista	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

81236 Nathrop (12.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	8,007
Population density	17 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	015

Geography
Land area	477.68 sq mi
Water area	0.45 sq mi
Latitude	38.8619
Longitude	-106.2531
Timezone	Mountain (MT)
Area code	719

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	41.5%	42.9%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	35.1%	32.2%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	17.4%	19.5%	26.9%
Over $200k	6.0%	5.4%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

8,007

Population

People per sq mi

47.0

Median age

$60,529

Median household income

$33,308

Per capita income

$485,900

Median home value

$1,192

Median monthly rent

63.3%

Home ownership

10.5%

Poverty rate

11.4%

Unemployment

2,886

Housing units

32.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

225

5–9

158

114

10–14

156

15–19

109

330

20–24

231

755

25–34

529

544

35–44

382

544

45–54

382

448

55–59

314

457

60–64

320

599

65–74

420

243

75–84

171

200

85+

141

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	944	11.8%
18 and over	7,063	88.2%
65 and over	1,774	22.2%
Median age	47.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.5%

Hispanic or Latino 4.6%

Two or more races 4.4%

Black or African American 2.5%

Asian 0.9%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%

Other race 0.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	7,173	85.5%
Hispanic or Latino	383	4.6%
Two or more races	370	4.4%
Black or African American	207	2.5%
Asian	74	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	74	0.9%
Other race	56	0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	53	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	41.5%	42.9%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	35.1%	32.2%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	17.4%	19.5%	26.9%
Over $200k	6.0%	5.4%	9.6%

Under $10k 1.4%

$10k–$15k 10.8%

$15k–$25k 2.6%

$25k–$35k 11.9%

$35k–$50k 7.1%

$50k–$75k 28.7%

$75k–$100k 10.5%

$100k–$150k 9.6%

$150k–$200k 10.2%

$200k+ 7.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.4%
$10k–$15k	10.8%
$15k–$25k	2.6%
$25k–$35k	11.9%
$35k–$50k	7.1%
$50k–$75k	28.7%
$75k–$100k	10.5%
$100k–$150k	9.6%
$150k–$200k	10.2%
$200k+	7.3%
Median income	$60,529

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.2%

$100k–$150k 0.2%

$150k–$200k 1.4%

$200k–$300k 14.8%

$300k–$500k 34.4%

$500k–$1M 40.7%

$1M+ 6.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$485,900
Median rent / month	$1,192
Owner occupied	63.3%
Renter occupied	36.7%
Vacant	18.3%
Single-family detached	78.6%
Large apartment buildings	1.0%
Mobile homes	9.8%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	1.95

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	8.2%
2000–2009	23.8%
1990–1999	20.5%
1980–1989	10.1%
1970–1979	11.9%
1960–1969	6.1%
1950–1959	9.0%
1940–1949	1.1%
1939 or earlier	8.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	7.5%
2 bedrooms	27.1%
3 bedrooms	50.7%
4 bedrooms	14.0%
5+ bedrooms	0.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.6%
1 vehicle	17.8%
2 vehicles	43.0%
3 or more	33.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	49.3%
Electricity	15.2%
Propane / LP gas	28.4%
Wood	2.9%
Solar	1.3%
No fuel used	1.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,489	44.2%
Cohabiting couple	273	8.1%
Male householder, no spouse	897	26.7%
Female householder, no spouse	706	21.0%
Households with children under 18	480	14.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,258	37.4%
Average household size	2.00

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	37.4%	21.6%
Married	48.3%	53.9%
Separated	1.4%	0.0%
Widowed	4.3%	9.9%
Divorced	8.6%	14.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.2%

Some HS, no diploma 7.4%

HS graduate 35.1%

Some college, no degree 17.8%

Associate's degree 4.1%

Bachelor's degree 18.7%

Graduate / professional 13.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.4%
Bachelor's or higher	32.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	29	2.9%
Kindergarten	23	2.3%
Elementary school	554	54.9%
High school	213	21.1%
College / grad school	190	18.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 20.6%

Retail trade 15.1%

Construction 10.1%

Transportation & utilities 6.2%

Finance & real estate 5.9%

Manufacturing 5.4%

Other services 4.8%

Professional & management 4.5%

Public administration 3.9%

Agriculture & mining 0.9%

Wholesale trade 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	34.9%
Service	22.9%
Sales & office	25.5%
Natural resources & construction	12.9%
Production & transportation	3.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.4%
Government	14.0%
Self-employed	8.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.9%
Carpool	8.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	13.1%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.8

Poverty

All people 10.5%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 12.2%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	41.1%
Retirement income	23.7%
Supplemental Security	6.2%
Cash public assistance	1.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	15.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	24.3%
High blood pressure	29.6%
High cholesterol	32.4%
Diabetes	8.5%
Heart disease	6.1%
Stroke	2.9%
Asthma	9.4%
Arthritis	25.4%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.3%
Binge drinking	18.8%
No physical activity	17.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.6%
Depression	18.9%
Fair or poor health	11.7%
Poor mental health	13.0%
Poor physical health	9.7%
No health insurance	14.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	62.9%
Visited dentist	66.0%
Cholesterol screening	89.9%
Teeth loss	10.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	382	5.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.5%
Under 18	8.4%
18–64 years	11.9%
65 and over	20.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.4%
Public insurance	43.7%
No insurance	9.5%
Uninsured under 19	4.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,852	98.1%
Spanish	373	4.8%
Other Indo-European	285	3.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	36	0.5%
Other languages	52	0.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,580	94.7%
Born in same state	7,447	93.0%
Born in different state	2,586	32.3%
Foreign born	133	1.7%
Naturalized citizen	427	5.3%
Not a US citizen	104	24.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,102	13.8%
Italian	587	7.3%
Arab	127	1.6%
Polish	97	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	93	1.2%
German	38	0.5%
Dutch	38	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.0%
Internet access	83.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81211

What city is ZIP code 81211 in?

ZIP code 81211 is primarily assigned to Buena Vista, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81211 in?

ZIP code 81211 falls within Chaffee County, Colorado.

Does ZIP code 81211 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 81211 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 81211?

The median home value in ZIP code 81211 is $485,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 81211?

ZIP code 81211 has an estimated population of 8,007 residents, with a density of 17 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 81211?

The median household income in ZIP code 81211 is $60,529, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 81211 in?

ZIP code 81211 observes the MST timezone.