81252 ZIP Code — Westcliffe, CO

Custer County, Colorado

ZIP code 81252 is located in Westcliffe, Colorado, within Custer County. It covers approximately 612.95 square miles and serves a population of 4,060 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 719.

About ZIP code 81252

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $311,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $62,284. 44% 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 30 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 25% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 37% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 81252 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

4,060

population

612.95

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

81252 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 81252

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 81252. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Westcliffe	Acceptable
Westcliffe	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

81253 Wetmore (14.6 mi) 81143 Moffat (16.5 mi)

Demographics updated 08/2026

Population
Total population	4,060
Population density	7 / sq mi
State FIPS	08
County FIPS	027

Geography
Land area	612.95 sq mi
Water area	1.20 sq mi
Latitude	38.0826
Longitude	-105.4848
Timezone	Mountain (MT)
Area code	719

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 08/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.2%	40.4%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	38.1%	37.1%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	18.1%	20.8%	26.9%
Over $200k	0.6%	1.7%	9.6%

Demographics & statistics

4,060

Population

People per sq mi

58.0

Median age

$62,284

Median household income

$35,542

Per capita income

$311,200

Median home value

$881

Median monthly rent

86.3%

Home ownership

9.1%

Poverty rate

3.5%

Unemployment

3,444

Housing units

37.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

126

10–14

130

182

15–19

188

20–24

125

25–34

129

123

35–44

127

205

45–54

213

184

55–59

191

313

60–64

325

447

65–74

463

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	729	18.0%
18 and over	3,331	82.0%
65 and over	1,184	29.2%
Median age	58.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.3%

Hispanic or Latino 2.9%

Other race 2.2%

Black or African American 1.7%

Two or more races 1.5%

Asian 1.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,779	90.3%
Hispanic or Latino	123	2.9%
Other race	90	2.2%
Black or African American	70	1.7%
Two or more races	61	1.5%
Asian	56	1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	4	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.2%	40.4%	32.5%
$50k – $100k	38.1%	37.1%	31.0%
$100k – $200k	18.1%	20.8%	26.9%
Over $200k	0.6%	1.7%	9.6%

Under $10k 2.5%

$10k–$15k 3.9%

$15k–$25k 13.5%

$25k–$35k 9.5%

$35k–$50k 9.7%

$50k–$75k 21.4%

$75k–$100k 15.5%

$100k–$150k 16.6%

$150k–$200k 3.5%

$200k+ 4.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.5%
$10k–$15k	3.9%
$15k–$25k	13.5%
$25k–$35k	9.5%
$35k–$50k	9.7%
$50k–$75k	21.4%
$75k–$100k	15.5%
$100k–$150k	16.6%
$150k–$200k	3.5%
$200k+	4.0%
Median income	$62,284

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.4%

$50k–$100k 2.9%

$100k–$150k 2.7%

$150k–$200k 6.9%

$200k–$300k 31.5%

$300k–$500k 29.9%

$500k–$1M 19.2%

$1M+ 2.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$311,200
Median rent / month	$881
Owner occupied	86.3%
Renter occupied	13.7%
Vacant	49.5%
Single-family detached	89.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.2%
Mobile homes	7.1%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.09

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.8%
2010–2019	10.7%
2000–2009	21.7%
1990–1999	22.2%
1980–1989	16.7%
1970–1979	9.1%
1960–1969	3.2%
1950–1959	3.9%
1940–1949	1.2%
1939 or earlier	10.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.0%
1 bedroom	14.2%
2 bedrooms	39.8%
3 bedrooms	29.1%
4 bedrooms	11.1%
5+ bedrooms	1.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.6%
1 vehicle	27.3%
2 vehicles	42.6%
3 or more	27.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.4%
Electricity	13.8%
Propane / LP gas	53.9%
Wood	22.5%
Solar	2.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,074	57.5%
Cohabiting couple	63	3.4%
Male householder, no spouse	327	17.5%
Female householder, no spouse	404	21.6%
Households with children under 18	216	11.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	827	44.3%
Average household size	2.17

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.9%	17.0%
Married	63.3%	64.5%
Separated	0.0%	0.6%
Widowed	2.3%	6.3%
Divorced	10.5%	11.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.7%

Some HS, no diploma 3.0%

HS graduate 21.0%

Some college, no degree 28.0%

Associate's degree 10.1%

Bachelor's degree 22.9%

Graduate / professional 14.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.3%
Bachelor's or higher	37.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	24	3.1%
Kindergarten	14	1.8%
Elementary school	356	45.9%
High school	316	40.8%
College / grad school	65	8.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 17.3%

Professional & management 16.0%

Construction 13.8%

Retail trade 9.7%

Public administration 7.8%

Manufacturing 7.0%

Other services 6.9%

Agriculture & mining 6.6%

Transportation & utilities 5.6%

Finance & real estate 3.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.6%

Information 2.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	39.3%
Service	11.8%
Sales & office	15.8%
Natural resources & construction	22.3%
Production & transportation	10.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	61.4%
Government	15.9%
Self-employed	21.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.9%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	59.1%
Carpool	10.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.9%
Work from home	24.9%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.1

Poverty

All people 9.1%

Under 18 years 6.0%

18 and over 9.8%

Married-couple families 4.8%

Female-led households 17.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.4%
Retirement income	33.6%
Supplemental Security	3.3%
Cash public assistance	1.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	24.6%
High blood pressure	34.2%
High cholesterol	36.5%
Diabetes	10.6%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	30.5%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	8.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.8%
Binge drinking	15.7%
No physical activity	18.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.2%
Depression	19.2%
Fair or poor health	12.9%
Poor mental health	12.3%
Poor physical health	10.9%
No health insurance	10.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.7%
Visited dentist	63.7%
Cholesterol screening	93.7%
Teeth loss	10.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	427	12.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.1%
Under 18	0.4%
18–64 years	16.5%
65 and over	21.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	58.9%
Public insurance	54.0%
No insurance	8.5%
Uninsured under 19	20.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,980	98.0%
Spanish	10	0.3%
Other Indo-European	8	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,877	95.5%
Born in same state	3,775	93.0%
Born in different state	1,352	33.3%
Foreign born	102	2.5%
Naturalized citizen	183	4.5%
Not a US citizen	121	66.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	524	12.9%
Italian	484	11.9%
Arab	147	3.6%
Polish	64	1.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	61	1.5%
Dutch	37	0.9%
Norwegian	14	0.3%
Irish	11	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.0%
Internet access	95.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 81252

What city is ZIP code 81252 in?

ZIP code 81252 is primarily assigned to Westcliffe, Colorado.

What county is ZIP code 81252 in?

ZIP code 81252 falls within Custer County, Colorado.

Does ZIP code 81252 have an older population?

29% of residents in ZIP code 81252 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 81252 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 81252 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 81252 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 81252 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 81252 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 81252 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 81252 in?

ZIP code 81252 observes the MST timezone.