81144 ZIP Code — Monte Vista, CO

Rio Grande County, Colorado

ZIP code 81144 is located in Monte Vista, Colorado, within Rio Grande County. It covers approximately 287.27 square miles and serves a population of 6,766 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 719.

About ZIP code 81144

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $214,200. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

Median household income is $61,274. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 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 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.

15% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 81144 reflects a community defined by a significant Social Security-dependent population and elevated reliance on food assistance.

6,766

population

287.27

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81144 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81144

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81144. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Monte Vista	Acceptable
Monte Vista	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

81102 Alamosa (16.2 mi) 81132 Del Norte (18 mi) 81140 La Jara (19.1 mi) 81125 Center (19.2 mi) 81136 Hooper (19.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,766
Population density	24 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	105

Geography
Land area	287.27 sq mi
Water area	0.21 sq mi
Latitude	37.5491
Longitude	-106.1579
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	54.3%	55.6%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	24.1%	26.0%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	19.2%	16.2%	26.9%
Over $200k	2.5%	2.2%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

6,766

Population

People per sq mi

39.4

Median age

$61,274

Median household income

$34,986

Per capita income

$214,200

Median home value

$669

Median monthly rent

70.7%

Home ownership

11.8%

Poverty rate

5.6%

Unemployment

2,120

Housing units

31.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

122

Under 5

125

152

5–9

156

332

10–14

343

192

15–19

199

221

20–24

228

266

25–34

275

727

35–44

751

282

45–54

291

250

55–59

259

217

60–64

224

290

65–74

300

172

75–84

177

106

85+

109

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,484	21.9%
18 and over	5,282	78.1%
65 and over	1,154	17.1%
Median age	39.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 57.2%

Hispanic or Latino 20.2%

Two or more races 13.7%

Other race 7.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%

Black or African American 0.2%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	4,850	57.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,712	20.2%
Two or more races	1,159	13.7%
Other race	634	7.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	95	1.1%
Black or African American	19	0.2%
Asian	9	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.3%	55.6%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	24.1%	26.0%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	19.2%	16.2%	26.9%
Over $200k	2.5%	2.2%	9.6%

Under $10k 3.3%

$10k–$15k 6.4%

$15k–$25k 10.3%

$25k–$35k 8.1%

$35k–$50k 11.1%

$50k–$75k 15.2%

$75k–$100k 13.5%

$100k–$150k 19.8%

$150k–$200k 5.4%

$200k+ 6.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.3%
$10k–$15k	6.4%
$15k–$25k	10.3%
$25k–$35k	8.1%
$35k–$50k	11.1%
$50k–$75k	15.2%
$75k–$100k	13.5%
$100k–$150k	19.8%
$150k–$200k	5.4%
$200k+	6.9%
Median income	$61,274

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.8%

$50k–$100k 10.3%

$100k–$150k 15.6%

$150k–$200k 7.7%

$200k–$300k 37.8%

$300k–$500k 17.0%

$500k–$1M 1.9%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$214,200
Median rent / month	$669
Owner occupied	70.7%
Renter occupied	29.3%
Vacant	10.7%
Single-family detached	76.3%
Large apartment buildings	1.6%
Mobile homes	9.4%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.78

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.9%
2000–2009	9.1%
1990–1999	16.4%
1980–1989	12.0%
1970–1979	10.0%
1960–1969	10.1%
1950–1959	14.6%
1940–1949	3.8%
1939 or earlier	23.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.8%
1 bedroom	6.3%
2 bedrooms	24.3%
3 bedrooms	46.2%
4 bedrooms	16.6%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.1%
1 vehicle	24.3%
2 vehicles	29.3%
3 or more	36.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	45.3%
Electricity	24.1%
Propane / LP gas	15.1%
Fuel oil	1.5%
Wood	13.0%
Solar	0.3%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,207	47.0%
Cohabiting couple	266	10.4%
Male householder, no spouse	332	12.9%
Female householder, no spouse	761	29.7%
Households with children under 18	786	30.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	816	31.8%
Average household size	2.58

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.3%	29.3%
Married	49.6%	42.5%
Separated	0.1%	2.2%
Widowed	8.6%	7.9%
Divorced	14.4%	18.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.3%

Some HS, no diploma 4.1%

HS graduate 30.0%

Some college, no degree 20.4%

Associate's degree 8.5%

Bachelor's degree 22.8%

Graduate / professional 8.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.6%
Bachelor's or higher	31.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	128	7.4%
Kindergarten	42	2.4%
Elementary school	861	49.7%
High school	375	21.6%
College / grad school	328	18.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.9%

Professional & management 12.1%

Transportation & utilities 10.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.6%

Retail trade 10.3%

Agriculture & mining 10.2%

Manufacturing 4.2%

Public administration 4.0%

Other services 3.5%

Construction 2.5%

Wholesale trade 1.9%

Finance & real estate 1.4%

Information 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	39.5%
Service	16.2%
Sales & office	18.2%
Natural resources & construction	11.3%
Production & transportation	14.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.0%
Government	23.1%
Self-employed	6.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	82.1%
Carpool	10.2%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	3.2%
Work from home	4.2%
Other means	0.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.7

Poverty

All people 11.8%

Under 18 years 12.9%

18 and over 11.5%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 16.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.4%
Retirement income	20.1%
Supplemental Security	8.7%
Cash public assistance	4.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.2%
High blood pressure	29.5%
High cholesterol	31.4%
Diabetes	11.5%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	25.2%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	6.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.7%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	25.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.8%
Depression	18.8%
Fair or poor health	16.9%
Poor mental health	14.1%
Poor physical health	11.7%
No health insurance	20.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.2%
Visited dentist	56.7%
Cholesterol screening	89.4%
Teeth loss	15.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	186	3.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.7%
Under 18	14.0%
18–64 years	13.2%
65 and over	40.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	47.4%
Public insurance	45.2%
No insurance	15.4%
Uninsured under 19	6.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,519	96.3%
Spanish	288	4.4%
Other Indo-European	288	4.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,512	96.2%
Born in same state	6,417	94.8%
Born in different state	4,583	67.7%
Foreign born	95	1.4%
Naturalized citizen	254	3.8%
Not a US citizen	86	33.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	477	7%
Italian	275	4.1%
Arab	154	2.3%
Polish	77	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	37	0.5%
Dutch	31	0.5%
Irish	2	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.9%
Internet access	90.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81144

What city is ZIP code 81144 in?

ZIP code 81144 is primarily assigned to Monte Vista, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81144 in?

ZIP code 81144 falls within Rio Grande County, Colorado.

Does ZIP code 81144 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 81144 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 81144?

ZIP code 81144 has an estimated population of 6,766 residents, with a density of 24 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 81144?

The median home value in ZIP code 81144 is $214,200.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 81144?

The median household income in ZIP code 81144 is $61,274, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 81144 in?

ZIP code 81144 observes the MST timezone.