ZIP Code 81427 — Ouray city, CO Demographics & Data

ZIP code 81427 covers Ouray, CO in Ouray County with a population of about 1,251.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 54.4 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

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

Ouray, CO fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (36.0%)). 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 81427 is about $82,851 — about 10% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 1.7%; unemployment rate near 2.0%; 60.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 26.9 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Food services, and Public administration; about 16.2% 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 $562,200 — about 62% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $849 (about 27% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 74.0% (about 8.5 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 81427 in Ouray, CO, a household would need roughly $155,000 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 $3,611. That is about 87% above the local median household income ($82,851), 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 Ouray city, CO as Very Low (composite score 17.7), which is relatively lower than many U.S. communities. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (71.9) and flood (24.7). 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 Ouray city, CO show little to no average snow and around 23.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 57 for ZIP 81427 (Ouray city, 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.