Population & age
- Total population
- 649
- Median age
- 44.9
Empire, CO (80438)
Clear Creek County · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO · Population 649
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Empire, CO (ZIP 80438) sits in Clear Creek County within the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Obesity comes in below the national average at 26.6%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 1 college or university serves the area, with median in-state tuition of $21,914. Average annual pay across local establishments runs $127,724 per worker (Census ZBP) — a high-wage local economy. FEMA has issued 9 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1969. Annual average temperature is just 42.2°F per NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals — a notably cold-weather climate. Premature-mortality burden is comparatively low at 4,820 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (County Health Rankings, 2025). New residents arriving here predominantly come from Jefferson County, CO (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: median household income $60,526, fair market rent of $1,930 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $358,550, down 2.0% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 88.6%
- Black
- 2.5%
- Asian
- 0.3%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 3.2%
- Other / multi-racial
- 8.3%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $60,526
- Median home value
- $297,900
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 25.3%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 1.5%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 225(57.7%)
- Renter-occupied
- 165(42.3%)
- Vacant units
- 122
- Built (median)
- 1968
Commute
- Public transit
- 12(2.8%)
- Work from home
- 17(3.9%)
- Avg commute
- 20.1 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 59(9.1%)
- Uninsured
- 16(2.5%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 350(89.7%)
- No broadband
- 40(10.3%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 6(0.9%)
- Non-English at home
- 10(1.6%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$1,480
/month
1 Bed
$1,620
/month
2 Bed
$1,930
/month
3 Bed
$2,520
/month
4 Bed
$2,820
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
Home values
Typical home value
$358,550
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) · as of March 2026
Year-over-year change
-2.0%
vs. March 2025
5-year change
+7.1%
vs. March 2021
Metro area
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
Metropolitan statistical area
Source: Zillow Research, ZHVI All Homes (SFR, Condo/Co-op) Time Series (zillow.com/research/data). Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is copyrighted by Zillow, Inc.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
19
Across 19 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $10.1M.
Single-family
19
100% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
0
0% of total units
Single-family value
$10.1M
construction value
Multifamily value
$0
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Business & employment
Business establishments
14
Total employment
468
Annual payroll
$59.8M
Average annual pay
$127,724
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$65,645
Average weekly wage
$1,262
Total employment
3,323
Total establishments
410
Average annual pay tracks the US national average of about $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
4.0%
That tracks the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
5,729
Employed
5,501
Unemployed
228
Based on Clear Creek County, CO data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
9
Date Range
1969–2020
Most Recent Declaration
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Biological — declared March 28, 2020 (DR-4498)
Incident period: January 20, 2020 – May 11, 2023
Top Incident Types
- Flood4 (44%)
- Biological2 (22%)
- Coastal Storm1 (11%)
- Snowstorm1 (11%)
- Fire1 (11%)
Individual Assistance
2
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
2
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
8
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
3
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
42.2°F
29.8° – 54.7°
Annual precipitation
18.3"
Annual snowfall
105.9"
Heating · cooling days
8,311.7 · 40.7
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: GEORGETOWN, CO US, 5.8 miles from the centroid of Empire, CO (ZIP 80438)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Air quality
Median daily AQI
49
GoodGood 202dModerate 139dUSG 10d
Peak AQI (2024)
136
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Primary pollutant
Ozone
351 days as main pollutant
Days measured
351
Based on Clear Creek County data (2024).
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (epa.gov). Public domain. Only counties with EPA AQS monitoring stations appear here (~30% of US counties); rural ZIPs whose primary county has no monitor will not show this section.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
4,820
That is roughly 3,380 years per 100,000 below the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
12%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
3.5
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.1
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
6.7%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
21
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,173
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
9.0
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
73%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
43%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 9.7% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Clear Creek data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Moderate food access challenges
12.3% of Clear Creek County, CO residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
—
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
0.74
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.94
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 2.8% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Clear Creek County, CO for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 2 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 27 reports
Homicide
0
Robbery
0
Burglary
2
Vehicle theft
5
County-level data for Clear Creek (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▼−30 people
+35 households • +$16.7M net AGI flow
Moved in
632households
920 people • $61.1M AGI
Moved out
597households
950 people • $44.4M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Jefferson County, CO — 95 households
- Denver County, CO — 54 households
- Arapahoe County, CO — 28 households
Where departing residents went
- Jefferson County, CO — 110 households
- Denver County, CO — 26 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $96,680 versus departing households' $74,385.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in Colorado
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 80438. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
Yes
graduated
Sales tax (combined)
7.89%
State 2.90% · avg local 4.99%
Property tax (effective)
0.48%
Median $1,025/year
Tax burden rank
22 of 50
9.60% of personal income
For ZIP 80438: Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $358,550, that works out to roughly $1,705/year in property tax.
Paid family leave
Program
FAMLI
Mandatory (state-run insurance)
Max weeks/year
16
Parental
12wk
Max weekly benefit
$1,381
Replacement: 90% AWW up to 0.5x SAWW + 50% above · job protection
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
200% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 80438
Nearby ZIPs by distance
80476 (Silver Plume, 5.5 mi) · 80444 (Georgetown, 8.4 mi) · 80436 (Downieville-Lawson-Dumont, 8.7 mi) · 80452 (Idaho Springs, 10.8 mi) · 80482 (Winter Park, 10.9 mi) · 80442 (Fraser, 13.4 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
26.6%
6.4pp below the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
30.7%
Tracks close to the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
23.7%
Tracks close to the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
72.1%
3.9pp below the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
9.1%
3.9pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
9.7%
Tracks close to the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
1
Median in-state tuition
$21,914
Median earnings (10 yr)
$97,335
- 4-Year
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO · 80401
- In-state tuition
- $21,914
- Out-of-state tuition
- $45,824
- Acceptance rate
- 60.7%
- Graduation rate
- 80.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $97,335
- Median student debt
- $23,000
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Empire, CO (ZIP 80438) sits in Clear Creek County within the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Obesity comes in below the national average at 26.6%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 1 college or university serves the area, with median in-state tuition of $21,914. Average annual pay across local establishments runs $127,724 per worker (Census ZBP) — a high-wage local economy. FEMA has issued 9 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1969. Annual average temperature is just 42.2°F per NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals — a notably cold-weather climate. Premature-mortality burden is comparatively low at 4,820 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (County Health Rankings, 2025). New residents arriving here predominantly come from Jefferson County, CO (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: median household income $60,526, fair market rent of $1,930 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $358,550, down 2.0% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits near the national rate at 23.7%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 80438
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 80438?
26.6%, which is 6.4 percentage points below the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 80438?
23.7%, which is 1.7 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 80438?
30.7%, which is 1.3 percentage points below the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 80438?
649 people live in ZIP 80438, with a median age of 44.9 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 80438?
$60,526 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 80438 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 80438, 57.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 42.3% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 80438?
In ZIP 80438, 3.9% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 2.8% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 80438?
9.1% of the population in ZIP 80438 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 80438 have broadband internet?
89.7% of households in ZIP 80438 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the typical home value in ZIP 80438?
The typical home value in ZIP 80438 is $358,550, down 2.0% from a year ago (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
Are home values rising or falling in ZIP 80438?
Home values are down 2.0% over the past year and up 7.1% over the past five years (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 80438?
As of 2022, 14 business establishments operated in ZIP 80438 employing 468 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 80438?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 80438 is $127,724, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 80438 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 80438 ranks in the 67th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 80438?
Housing Type & Transportation is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 80438, ranking in the 79th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 80438 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 9 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 80438 between 1969–2020 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 80438?
Flood is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 80438, accounting for 4 of 9 declarations (44%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 80438?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 80438 was "COVID-19 PANDEMIC" — a biological declared in 2020 (DR-4498) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 80438?
1 college or university is listed near ZIP 80438 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Colorado School Of Mines (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 80438?
Median in-state tuition across 1 nearby institution is $21,914 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 80438?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $97,335 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 80438?
ZIP 80438 has an average annual temperature of 42.2°F and 18.3" of annual precipitation based on the GEORGETOWN, CO US weather station 5.8 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 80438?
Colorado has a graduated income tax with a top rate of unspecified. Combined sales tax: 7.89% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does Colorado have paid family leave?
Colorado runs an active paid family leave program (FAMLI) offering up to 16 weeks of paid leave per year, with a maximum weekly benefit of $1,381 (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 80438?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (33 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), home values from the Zillow Home Value Index, colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (1 institution), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (9 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). Home values retrieved May 1, 2026 from Zillow Research. College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (9 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 80438
Nearby ZIPs by distance
80476 (Silver Plume, 5.5 mi) · 80444 (Georgetown, 8.4 mi) · 80436 (Downieville-Lawson-Dumont, 8.7 mi) · 80452 (Idaho Springs, 10.8 mi) · 80482 (Winter Park, 10.9 mi) · 80442 (Fraser, 13.4 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 80438?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
67th percentile
High Vulnerability
Based on 1 census tract, population 726
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
24
Limited English Speakers
18
Persons with Disability
112
Without HS Diploma
44
Without Health Insurance
114
Adults Age 65+
166
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.