ZIP Code 81503 — Orchard Mesa CDP, CO Demographics & Data

ZIP code 81503 covers Orchard Mesa, CO in Mesa County with a population of about 16,132.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 40.1 (near the U.S. median).

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

Median household income in ZIP 81503 is about $71,681 — about 5% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 12.6%; unemployment rate near 5.0%; 23.0% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 10.7 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Construction; about 13.0% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 2.2 points below 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 $307,600 — about 12% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $977 (about 16% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 78.1% (about 12.7 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 81503 in Orchard Mesa, CO, a household would need roughly $85,000 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 $1,976. That is about 19% above the local median household income ($71,681), 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 Orchard Mesa CDP, CO as Relatively Low (composite score 75.1), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (89.9) and flood (81.9). 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 Orchard Mesa CDP, CO show little to no average snow and around 8.9 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 737 for ZIP 81503 (Orchard Mesa CDP, 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.