96120 ZIP Code — Markleeville, CA

Alpine County, California

ZIP code 96120 is located in Markleeville, California, within Alpine County. It covers approximately 226.47 square miles and serves a population of 1,209 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 530.

About ZIP code 96120

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $465,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($92,917) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 50% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 34 minutes is near the national average.

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

Overall, ZIP code 96120 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,209

population

226.47

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

96120 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 96120

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 96120. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Markleeville	Acceptable
Markleeville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

89460 Gardnerville (12.8 mi) 89410 Gardnerville (13.5 mi) 96150 South Lake Tahoe (16.4 mi) 96133 Topaz (17.6 mi) 95735 Twin Bridges (17.7 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,209
Population density	5 / sq mi
State FIPS	06
County FIPS	003

Geography
Land area	226.47 sq mi
Water area	0.56 sq mi
Latitude	38.7254
Longitude	-119.8170
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	530

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	31.2%	28.3%	32.6%
$50k – $100k	34.4%	34.2%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	30.2%	33.9%	26.4%
Over $200k	4.2%	3.6%	13.3%

Demographics & statistics

1,209

Population

People per sq mi

54.8

Median age

$92,917

Median household income

$57,451

Per capita income

$465,900

Median home value

$867

Median monthly rent

88.3%

Home ownership

11.6%

Poverty rate

3.8%

Unemployment

586

Housing units

31.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

103

55–59

60–64

174

65–74

141

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	245	20.3%
18 and over	964	79.7%
65 and over	354	29.3%
Median age	54.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 57.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 31%

Two or more races 7.1%

Hispanic or Latino 4.2%

Other race 0.5%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	720	57.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	391	31%
Two or more races	89	7.1%
Hispanic or Latino	53	4.2%
Other race	6	0.5%
Asian	3	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	31.2%	28.3%	32.6%
$50k – $100k	34.4%	34.2%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	30.2%	33.9%	26.4%
Over $200k	4.2%	3.6%	13.3%

Under $10k 1.1%

$10k–$15k 2.9%

$15k–$25k 6.0%

$25k–$35k 6.6%

$35k–$50k 9.4%

$50k–$75k 19.7%

$75k–$100k 7.4%

$100k–$150k 23.4%

$150k–$200k 13.4%

$200k+ 10.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.1%
$10k–$15k	2.9%
$15k–$25k	6.0%
$25k–$35k	6.6%
$35k–$50k	9.4%
$50k–$75k	19.7%
$75k–$100k	7.4%
$100k–$150k	23.4%
$150k–$200k	13.4%
$200k+	10.0%
Median income	$92,917

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.7%

$50k–$100k 2.6%

$100k–$150k 3.6%

$150k–$200k 1.3%

$200k–$300k 10.0%

$300k–$500k 30.7%

$500k–$1M 33.7%

$1M+ 9.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$465,900
Median rent / month	$867
Owner occupied	88.3%
Renter occupied	11.7%
Vacant	44.2%
Single-family detached	94.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	4.6%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	3.08

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.4%
2000–2009	9.4%
1990–1999	13.7%
1980–1989	18.2%
1970–1979	22.6%
1960–1969	8.0%
1950–1959	7.7%
1940–1949	7.0%
1939 or earlier	11.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.1%
1 bedroom	16.6%
2 bedrooms	20.6%
3 bedrooms	40.2%
4 bedrooms	15.0%
5+ bedrooms	3.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.3%
1 vehicle	24.3%
2 vehicles	26.6%
3 or more	44.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.0%
Electricity	8.0%
Propane / LP gas	38.3%
Fuel oil	4.0%
Wood	31.4%
Solar	6.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	181	51.7%
Cohabiting couple	8	2.3%
Male householder, no spouse	88	25.1%
Female householder, no spouse	73	20.9%
Households with children under 18	63	18.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	199	56.9%
Average household size	3.45

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	49.9%	28.5%
Married	41.7%	43.4%
Separated	0.7%	0.0%
Widowed	0.9%	6.0%
Divorced	6.8%	22.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.0%

Some HS, no diploma 3.2%

HS graduate 21.7%

Some college, no degree 29.0%

Associate's degree 11.5%

Bachelor's degree 19.1%

Graduate / professional 12.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.8%
Bachelor's or higher	31.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	15	5.8%
Kindergarten	9	3.5%
Elementary school	82	31.7%
High school	59	22.8%
College / grad school	94	36.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 22.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 19.9%

Education & healthcare 18.9%

Professional & management 11.6%

Agriculture & mining 10.8%

Public administration 4.6%

Manufacturing 3.6%

Finance & real estate 2.8%

Transportation & utilities 2.2%

Construction 1.6%

Information 1.0%

Wholesale trade 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	44.2%
Service	9.6%
Sales & office	21.9%
Natural resources & construction	6.4%
Production & transportation	17.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.5%
Government	20.3%
Self-employed	8.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.8%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.1%
Carpool	5.7%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	20.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	34.0

Poverty

All people 11.6%

Under 18 years 21.2%

18 and over 9.1%

Married-couple families 3.3%

Female-led households 20.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	50.3%
Retirement income	40.9%
Supplemental Security	4.0%
Cash public assistance	2.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.0%
High blood pressure	35.0%
High cholesterol	34.7%
Diabetes	12.6%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	11.1%
Arthritis	28.6%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.2%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.8%
Binge drinking	17.3%
No physical activity	21.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.5%
Depression	19.7%
Fair or poor health	17.9%
Poor mental health	15.4%
Poor physical health	13.4%
No health insurance	8.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.0%
Visited dentist	63.0%
Cholesterol screening	92.8%
Teeth loss	13.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	40	4.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.0%
Under 18	6.9%
18–64 years	13.3%
65 and over	26.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.8%
Public insurance	49.8%
No insurance	7.2%
Uninsured under 19	4.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,132	93.6%
Spanish	48	4.2%
Other Indo-European	8	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,186	98.1%
Born in same state	1,180	97.6%
Born in different state	668	55.3%
Foreign born	6	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	23	1.9%
Not a US citizen	21	91.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	149	12.3%
Italian	136	11.2%
Arab	22	1.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	18	1.5%
English	8	0.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	28.9%
Internet access	94.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 96120

What city is ZIP code 96120 in?

ZIP code 96120 is primarily assigned to Markleeville, California.

What county is ZIP code 96120 in?

ZIP code 96120 falls within Alpine County, California.

Does ZIP code 96120 have an older population?

29% of residents in ZIP code 96120 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 96120 have a large retiree population?

50% of households in ZIP code 96120 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 96120 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 96120 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 96120?

The median home value in ZIP code 96120 is $465,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 96120 in?

ZIP code 96120 observes the PST timezone.