81428 ZIP Code — Paonia, CO

Delta County, Colorado

ZIP code 81428 is located in Paonia, Colorado, within Delta County. It covers approximately 189.63 square miles and serves a population of 3,679 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 970.

About ZIP code 81428

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 $334,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $76,910. 46% 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 23 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 21% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 40% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 81428 reflects a community defined by high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,679

population

189.63

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81428 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81428

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81428. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Paonia	Acceptable
Paonia	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

81419 Hotchkiss (14 mi) 81413 Cedaredge (15.3 mi) 81624 Collbran (16.3 mi) 81434 Somerset (17.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,679
Population density	19 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	029

Geography
Land area	189.63 sq mi
Water area	0.57 sq mi
Latitude	38.9989
Longitude	-107.6218
Timezone	Mountain (MT)
Area code	970

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.4%	53.2%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	34.0%	28.3%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	21.3%	15.3%	26.9%
Over $200k	6.3%	3.1%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

3,679

Population

People per sq mi

49.7

Median age

$76,910

Median household income

$42,434

Per capita income

$334,200

Median home value

$775

Median monthly rent

78.5%

Home ownership

11.5%

Poverty rate

3.4%

Unemployment

1,731

Housing units

39.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

142

10–14

146

106

15–19

110

20–24

154

25–34

160

252

35–44

261

234

45–54

242

124

55–59

129

105

60–64

108

335

65–74

347

177

75–84

183

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	682	18.5%
18 and over	2,997	81.5%
65 and over	1,118	30.4%
Median age	49.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 88.8%

Two or more races 4.7%

Hispanic or Latino 3.8%

Black or African American 1.9%

Asian 0.7%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,397	88.8%
Two or more races	178	4.7%
Hispanic or Latino	146	3.8%
Black or African American	74	1.9%
Asian	26	0.7%
Other race	4	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.4%	53.2%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	34.0%	28.3%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	21.3%	15.3%	26.9%
Over $200k	6.3%	3.1%	9.6%

Under $10k 5.3%

$10k–$15k 5.1%

$15k–$25k 7.0%

$25k–$35k 6.0%

$35k–$50k 10.2%

$50k–$75k 14.7%

$75k–$100k 16.3%

$100k–$150k 22.9%

$150k–$200k 6.1%

$200k+ 6.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.3%
$10k–$15k	5.1%
$15k–$25k	7.0%
$25k–$35k	6.0%
$35k–$50k	10.2%
$50k–$75k	14.7%
$75k–$100k	16.3%
$100k–$150k	22.9%
$150k–$200k	6.1%
$200k+	6.3%
Median income	$76,910

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.6%

$50k–$100k 0.8%

$100k–$150k 2.6%

$150k–$200k 5.3%

$200k–$300k 28.7%

$300k–$500k 34.3%

$500k–$1M 24.2%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$334,200
Median rent / month	$775
Owner occupied	78.5%
Renter occupied	21.5%
Vacant	19.3%
Single-family detached	86.4%
Large apartment buildings	1.5%
Mobile homes	7.0%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.29

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	3.5%
2000–2009	9.3%
1990–1999	16.3%
1980–1989	8.3%
1970–1979	25.2%
1960–1969	4.3%
1950–1959	8.9%
1940–1949	3.4%
1939 or earlier	20.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	5.0%
2 bedrooms	35.5%
3 bedrooms	38.8%
4 bedrooms	14.2%
5+ bedrooms	5.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.3%
1 vehicle	35.4%
2 vehicles	28.1%
3 or more	32.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	42.5%
Electricity	21.0%
Propane / LP gas	19.8%
Fuel oil	0.7%
Wood	11.0%
Solar	0.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	688	40.7%
Cohabiting couple	57	3.4%
Male householder, no spouse	332	19.6%
Female householder, no spouse	614	36.3%
Households with children under 18	350	20.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	762	45.1%
Average household size	2.15

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	18.8%	27.5%
Married	49.6%	44.1%
Separated	9.1%	0.0%
Widowed	5.0%	15.7%
Divorced	17.5%	12.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.2%

Some HS, no diploma 4.4%

HS graduate 20.5%

Some college, no degree 25.6%

Associate's degree 6.5%

Bachelor's degree 27.8%

Graduate / professional 11.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.3%
Bachelor's or higher	39.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	20	2.5%
Kindergarten	24	3.0%
Elementary school	373	46.3%
High school	221	27.4%
College / grad school	168	20.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 30.8%

Agriculture & mining 17.3%

Manufacturing 9.0%

Information 7.9%

Professional & management 7.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.0%

Finance & real estate 4.8%

Other services 4.6%

Public administration 4.0%

Retail trade 2.6%

Transportation & utilities 2.4%

Construction 1.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	58.3%
Service	12.4%
Sales & office	10.6%
Natural resources & construction	9.5%
Production & transportation	9.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	58.6%
Government	24.2%
Self-employed	17.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	65.4%
Carpool	8.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.5%
Work from home	21.1%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.7

Poverty

All people 11.5%

Under 18 years 9.0%

18 and over 12.1%

Married-couple families 5.2%

Female-led households 21.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.7%
Retirement income	29.3%
Supplemental Security	4.9%
Cash public assistance	5.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	24.2%
High blood pressure	32.1%
High cholesterol	33.6%
Diabetes	9.5%
Heart disease	7.1%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	28.4%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	8.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.9%
Binge drinking	16.7%
No physical activity	19.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.1%
Depression	20.7%
Fair or poor health	12.7%
Poor mental health	13.0%
Poor physical health	10.5%
No health insurance	11.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.8%
Visited dentist	64.9%
Cholesterol screening	92.1%
Teeth loss	12.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	200	6.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.7%
Under 18	4.8%
18–64 years	12.6%
65 and over	41.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	52.6%
Public insurance	50.2%
No insurance	14.7%
Uninsured under 19	14.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,583	97.4%
Spanish	56	1.6%
Other Indo-European	26	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	30	0.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,533	96.0%
Born in same state	3,505	95.3%
Born in different state	1,769	48.1%
Foreign born	28	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	146	4.0%
Not a US citizen	56	38.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	977	26.6%
Italian	668	18.2%
Arab	459	12.5%
English	69	1.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	62	1.7%
Dutch	35	1%
German	20	0.5%
Irish	3	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.0%
Internet access	91.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81428

What city is ZIP code 81428 in?

ZIP code 81428 is primarily assigned to Paonia, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81428 in?

ZIP code 81428 falls within Delta County, Colorado.

Does ZIP code 81428 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 81428 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 81428 have a large retiree population?

46% of households in ZIP code 81428 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 81428?

The median home value in ZIP code 81428 is $334,200.

What is the population of ZIP code 81428?

ZIP code 81428 has an estimated population of 3,679 residents, with a density of 19 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 81428 in?

ZIP code 81428 observes the MST timezone.