81236 ZIP Code — Nathrop, CO

Chaffee County, Colorado

ZIP code 81236 is located in Nathrop, Colorado, within Chaffee County. It covers approximately 159.84 square miles and serves a population of 1,738 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 719.

About ZIP code 81236

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Median home value is $624,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $91,082. The poverty rate of 3% is below the national average. 49% 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 high — 59% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 17% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 81236 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,738

population

159.84

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81236 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81236

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81236. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Nathrop	Acceptable
Nathrop	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

81211 Buena Vista (12.4 mi) 81201 Salida (13.3 mi) 81201 Salida (13.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,738
Population density	11 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	015

Geography
Land area	159.84 sq mi
Water area	0.29 sq mi
Latitude	38.6834
Longitude	-106.2267
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	39.1%	42.9%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	35.8%	32.2%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	23.5%	19.5%	26.9%
Over $200k	1.7%	5.4%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

1,738

Population

People per sq mi

50.8

Median age

$91,082

Median household income

$42,646

Per capita income

$624,100

Median home value

$221

Median monthly rent

88.1%

Home ownership

2.5%

Poverty rate

5.7%

Unemployment

1,164

Housing units

59.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

146

35–44

153

45–54

55–59

60–64

232

65–74

244

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	373	21.5%
18 and over	1,365	78.5%
65 and over	667	38.4%
Median age	50.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.5%

Hispanic or Latino 4.8%

Two or more races 4.8%

Group	Count	%
White	1,651	90.5%
Hispanic or Latino	87	4.8%
Two or more races	87	4.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	39.1%	42.9%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	35.8%	32.2%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	23.5%	19.5%	26.9%
Over $200k	1.7%	5.4%	9.6%

Under $10k 0.6%

$10k–$15k 3.6%

$15k–$25k 5.4%

$25k–$35k 11.2%

$35k–$50k 2.5%

$50k–$75k 14.2%

$75k–$100k 23.9%

$100k–$150k 18.3%

$150k–$200k 15.4%

$200k+ 4.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	0.6%
$10k–$15k	3.6%
$15k–$25k	5.4%
$25k–$35k	11.2%
$35k–$50k	2.5%
$50k–$75k	14.2%
$75k–$100k	23.9%
$100k–$150k	18.3%
$150k–$200k	15.4%
$200k+	4.9%
Median income	$91,082

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.4%

$50k–$100k 2.7%

$200k–$300k 6.0%

$300k–$500k 20.9%

$500k–$1M 59.5%

$1M+ 9.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$624,100
Median rent / month	$221
Owner occupied	88.1%
Renter occupied	11.9%
Vacant	36.6%
Single-family detached	81.0%
Large apartment buildings	4.8%
Mobile homes	11.8%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.21

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	19.7%
2000–2009	17.8%
1990–1999	19.5%
1980–1989	8.4%
1970–1979	17.9%
1960–1969	6.7%
1950–1959	7.3%
1940–1949	0.6%
1939 or earlier	2.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	7.1%
1 bedroom	6.0%
2 bedrooms	24.5%
3 bedrooms	43.1%
4 bedrooms	16.9%
5+ bedrooms	2.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.6%
1 vehicle	8.6%
2 vehicles	53.9%
3 or more	29.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	26.8%
Electricity	17.7%
Propane / LP gas	43.5%
Wood	8.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	567	71.1%
Cohabiting couple	12	1.5%
Male householder, no spouse	143	17.9%
Female householder, no spouse	76	9.5%
Households with children under 18	171	21.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	387	48.5%
Average household size	2.18

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	11.6%	4.5%
Married	74.7%	84.4%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	6.0%	6.1%
Divorced	7.7%	5.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 0.7%

HS graduate 10.6%

Some college, no degree 20.1%

Associate's degree 9.3%

Bachelor's degree 26.2%

Graduate / professional 33.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	99.3%
Bachelor's or higher	59.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	49	14.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	254	72.6%
High school	30	8.6%
College / grad school	17	4.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.8%

Professional & management 17.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 14.5%

Construction 11.5%

Wholesale trade 6.8%

Public administration 5.9%

Information 4.8%

Retail trade 3.8%

Manufacturing 2.4%

Transportation & utilities 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.5%

Finance & real estate 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	51.8%
Service	21.8%
Sales & office	11.0%
Natural resources & construction	13.0%
Production & transportation	2.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.0%
Government	17.0%
Self-employed	15.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	56.0%
Carpool	13.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	19.2%
Work from home	10.8%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.2

Poverty

All people 2.5%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 3.2%

Married-couple families 0.9%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	48.6%
Retirement income	43.6%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	1.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	23.4%
High blood pressure	36.7%
High cholesterol	39.6%
Diabetes	10.8%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	33.6%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	10.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	13.1%
Binge drinking	14.1%
No physical activity	17.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.1%
Depression	18.8%
Fair or poor health	12.6%
Poor mental health	11.5%
Poor physical health	10.8%
No health insurance	9.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	69.7%
Visited dentist	70.7%
Cholesterol screening	94.7%
Teeth loss	9.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	237	17.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	8.6%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	2.3%
65 and over	19.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	73.1%
Public insurance	53.9%
No insurance	2.9%
Uninsured under 19	13.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,649	94.9%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,730	99.5%
Born in same state	1,725	99.3%
Born in different state	661	38.0%
Foreign born	5	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	8	0.5%
Not a US citizen	8	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
English	416	23.9%
French	330	19%
Italian	233	13.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	110	6.3%
Polish	6	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.9%
Internet access	96.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81236

What city is ZIP code 81236 in?

ZIP code 81236 is primarily assigned to Nathrop, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81236 in?

ZIP code 81236 falls within Chaffee County, Colorado.

Does ZIP code 81236 have an older population?

38% of residents in ZIP code 81236 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 81236?

59% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Does ZIP code 81236 have a large retiree population?

49% of households in ZIP code 81236 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 81236 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 81236 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 81236 in?

ZIP code 81236 observes the MST timezone.