ZIP Code 81424 — Nucla town, CO Demographics & Data

ZIP code 81424 covers Nucla, CO in Montrose County with a population of about 1,166.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 56.3 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 970; U.S. House district CO-3; the GRAND JUNCTION - MONTROSE media market.

Nucla, CO fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (40.0%)). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 81424 is about $34,821 — about 54% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 13.6%; unemployment rate near 7.4%; 16.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 17.1 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Food services, Retail trade, and Education; about 15.1% of workers reporting work-from-home (roughly in line with the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $172,900 — about 50% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $631 (about 46% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 75.7% (about 10.3 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 81424 in Nucla, CO, a household would need roughly $48,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,111. That is about 38% above the local median household income ($34,821), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Nucla town, CO as Relatively Low (composite score 49.0), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (78.6) and flood (67.4). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Nucla town, CO show little to no average snow and around 15.8 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 53 for ZIP 81424 (Nucla town, CO) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.