80438 ZIP Code — Empire, CO

Clear Creek County, Colorado

ZIP code 80438 is located in Empire, Colorado, within Clear Creek County. It covers approximately 55.54 square miles and serves a population of 649 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 720/303.

About ZIP code 80438

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $297,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 58%.

Median household income is $60,526. SNAP benefit usage at 17% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 25% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

27% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

649
population
55.54
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Mountain (MT)
timezone
80438 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 80438

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 80438. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Empire Acceptable
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 649
Population density 12 / sq mi
State FIPS 08
County FIPS 019
Geography
Land area 55.54 sq mi
Water area 0.19 sq mi
Latitude 39.7664
Longitude -105.7767
Timezone Mountain (MT)
Area code 720/303
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics updated 05/2026
Household income
Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 53.8% 41.6% 32.5%
$50k – $100k 27.6% 34.0% 31.0%
$100k – $200k 17.6% 19.2% 26.9%
Over $200k 0.9% 5.2% 9.6%

Demographics & statistics

649
Population
12
People per sq mi
44.9
Median age
$60,526
Median household income
$43,261
Per capita income
$297,900
Median home value
$1,222
Median monthly rent
57.7%
Home ownership
9.1%
Poverty rate
1.5%
Unemployment
347
Housing units
25.3%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
14
Under 5
10
8
5–9
5
12
10–14
9
11
15–19
7
5
20–24
3
60
25–34
41
87
35–44
61
63
45–54
43
16
55–59
11
38
60–64
27
61
65–74
42
8
75–84
5
1
85+
1
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 187611.7%
18 and over57388.3%
65 and over11818.2%
Median age44.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.4%
Two or more races 7.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
Black or African American 2.4%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Other race 0.3%
GroupCount%
White57585.4%
Two or more races527.7%
Hispanic or Latino243.6%
Black or African American162.4%
Asian20.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native20.3%
Other race20.3%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 53.8% 41.6% 32.5%
$50k – $100k 27.6% 34.0% 31.0%
$100k – $200k 17.6% 19.2% 26.9%
Over $200k 0.9% 5.2% 9.6%
Under $10k 3.6%
$10k–$15k 3.6%
$15k–$25k 5.4%
$25k–$35k 15.4%
$35k–$50k 10.0%
$50k–$75k 24.9%
$75k–$100k 4.6%
$100k–$150k 25.6%
$150k–$200k 3.3%
$200k+ 3.6%
Range% of households
Under $10k3.6%
$10k–$15k3.6%
$15k–$25k5.4%
$25k–$35k15.4%
$35k–$50k10.0%
$50k–$75k24.9%
$75k–$100k4.6%
$100k–$150k25.6%
$150k–$200k3.3%
$200k+3.6%
Median income$60,526

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 27.1%
$50k–$100k 1.8%
$150k–$200k 8.0%
$200k–$300k 13.3%
$300k–$500k 40.9%
$500k–$1M 8.4%
$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$297,900
Median rent / month$1,222
Owner occupied57.7%
Renter occupied42.3%
Vacant23.8%
Single-family detached62.7%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes18.6%
Median rooms4.5
Avg household size (owned)1.96

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20191.4%
2000–20098.4%
1990–19993.1%
1980–198916.2%
1970–197918.2%
1960–196912.3%
1950–195910.0%
1940–19498.4%
1939 or earlier22.1%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)4.1%
1 bedroom18.8%
2 bedrooms43.0%
3 bedrooms31.4%
4 bedrooms1.2%
5+ bedrooms1.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle4.1%
1 vehicle34.1%
2 vehicles41.8%
3 or more20.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas51.5%
Electricity44.9%
Propane / LP gas1.0%
Wood1.8%
No fuel used0.8%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family12532.1%
Cohabiting couple7118.2%
Male householder, no spouse10426.7%
Female householder, no spouse9023.1%
Households with children under 1813133.6%
Households with seniors (65+)10125.9%
Average household size1.66

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married43.4%21.2%
Married39.9%53.9%
Separated0.9%2.9%
Widowed2.0%4.1%
Divorced13.9%18.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 10.3%
Some HS, no diploma 2.7%
HS graduate 33.5%
Some college, no degree 21.2%
Associate's degree 7.1%
Bachelor's degree 18.9%
Graduate / professional 6.4%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher87.1%
Bachelor's or higher25.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool23.2%
Kindergarten58.1%
Elementary school2540.3%
High school2235.5%
College / grad school812.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 27.1%
Arts, food & hospitality 18.0%
Manufacturing 12.7%
Education & healthcare 12.2%
Public administration 10.7%
Professional & management 9.1%
Construction 5.1%
Transportation & utilities 2.7%
Agriculture & mining 1.6%
Finance & real estate 0.9%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts26.2%
Service14.9%
Sales & office30.0%
Natural resources & construction13.3%
Production & transportation15.6%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector80.4%
Government14.9%
Self-employed4.7%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone72.9%
Carpool4.6%
Public transit2.8%
Walk15.9%
Work from home3.9%
Other means0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)20.9

Poverty

All people 9.1%
Under 18 years 6.6%
18 and over 9.4%
Married-couple families 1.6%
Female-led households 29.4%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security26.7%
Retirement income13.1%
Supplemental Security4.9%
Cash public assistance4.9%
Food stamps / SNAP17.4%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity25.2%
High blood pressure29.0%
High cholesterol31.3%
Diabetes8.7%
Heart disease5.8%
Stroke2.7%
Asthma9.9%
Arthritis24.1%
Kidney disease2.7%
Pulmonary disease6.4%
Cancer6.7%
Behavior / access%
Smoking16.4%
Binge drinking18.6%
No physical activity17.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep28.6%
Depression20.3%
Fair or poor health11.5%
Poor mental health13.4%
Poor physical health10.0%
No health insurance10.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)66.8%
Visited dentist64.3%
Cholesterol screening91.6%
Teeth loss10.6%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans305.2%
Disability%
Any disability15.4%
Under 180.0%
18–64 years13.4%
65 and over33.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance51.6%
Public insurance32.0%
No insurance27.1%
Uninsured under 1921.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only62596.3%
Spanish20.3%
Other Indo-European00.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander20.3%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)64399.1%
Born in same state64198.8%
Born in different state19129.4%
Foreign born20.3%
Naturalized citizen60.9%
Not a US citizen6100.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
French18027.7%
Italian12919.9%
English284.3%
Polish223.4%
AncestryCount%
Irish50.8%
Arab50.8%
German20.3%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access60.1%
Internet access96.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 80438

What city is ZIP code 80438 in?

ZIP code 80438 is primarily assigned to Empire, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 80438 in?

ZIP code 80438 falls within Clear Creek County, Colorado.

What is the population of ZIP code 80438?

ZIP code 80438 has an estimated population of 649 residents, with a density of 12 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 80438?

The median home value in ZIP code 80438 is $297,900.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 80438?

The median household income in ZIP code 80438 is $60,526, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 80438 in?

ZIP code 80438 observes the MST timezone.

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