Population & age
- Total population
- 913
- Median age
- 52.3
Poncha Springs, CO (81242)
Chaffee County · Population 913
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Poncha Springs, CO (ZIP 81242) sits in Chaffee County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Obesity comes in below the national average at 24.4%. 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 $11,318. FEMA has issued 5 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 2002. Annual precipitation averages just 8.8" per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals — an arid-climate ZCTA where landscaping and water-budget choices matter more than national averages suggest. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 492 residents (284 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. 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 $68,826, fair market rent of $1,260 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $559,409, up 2.4% 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
- 88.4%
- Black
- 0.0%
- Asian
- 0.9%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 14.6%
- Other / multi-racial
- 10.7%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $68,826
- Median home value
- $396,800
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 31.8%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 0.0%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 419(84.3%)
- Renter-occupied
- 78(15.7%)
- Vacant units
- 39
- Built (median)
- 1999
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 89(15.1%)
- Avg commute
- 11.2 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 95(10.7%)
- Uninsured
- 0(0.0%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 485(97.6%)
- No broadband
- 12(2.4%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 7(0.8%)
- Non-English at home
- 28(3.3%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$950
/month
1 Bed
$960
/month
2 Bed
$1,260
/month
3 Bed
$1,750
/month
4 Bed
$1,980
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
Home values
Typical home value
$559,409
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) · as of March 2026
Year-over-year change
+2.4%
vs. March 2025
5-year change
+34.1%
vs. March 2021
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
289
Across 280 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $99.3M.
Single-family
274
95% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
15
5% of total units
Single-family value
$95.6M
construction value
Multifamily value
$3.7M
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
45
Total employment
206
Annual payroll
$11.6M
Average annual pay
$56,490
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
$52,718
Average weekly wage
$1,014
Total employment
9,229
Total establishments
1,244
That is roughly 19% below the US national average of $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
10,036
Employed
9,637
Unemployed
399
Based on Chaffee 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.
Alternative-fuel stations
Public EV charging stations
1
Limited EV charging
A small number of public charging stations — viable for EV ownership with home charging, but minimal redundancy.
Level 2 ports
0
AC charging — workplace, retail, home
DC Fast ports
0
Highway-class fast charging
Charging networks
- Tesla
Active public stations only. Snapshot taken 2026; AFDC's underlying registry refreshes continuously as stations open and close.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy via NREL (afdc.energy.gov). Per-ZIP counts of active public alternative-fuel stations (electric, hydrogen, propane, CNG, biodiesel, E85, LNG, renewable diesel) and EV charging-port totals.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
5
Date Range
2002–2020
Most Recent Declaration
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Biological — declared March 28, 2020 (DR-4498)
Incident period: January 20, 2020 – May 11, 2023
Top Incident Types
- Biological2 (40%)
- Coastal Storm1 (20%)
- Snowstorm1 (20%)
- Fire1 (20%)
Individual Assistance
1
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
1
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
4
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
2
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
46.3°F
29.1° – 63.5°
Annual precipitation
8.8"
Annual snowfall
36.7"
Heating · cooling days
6,970.3 · 187.1
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: SALIDA, CO US, 5.2 miles from the centroid of Poncha Springs, CO (ZIP 81242)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Air quality
Median daily AQI
51
ModerateGood 74dModerate 82dUSG 5d
Peak AQI (2024)
112
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Primary pollutant
Ozone
161 days as main pollutant
Days measured
161
Based on Chaffee 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)
6,516
That is roughly 1,684 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
15%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.0
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.4
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
9.9%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
95
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
1,320
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
8.4
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
100%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
45%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 9.5% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Chaffee 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
10.8% of Chaffee County, CO residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.44
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
0.92
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
1.11
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 2.9% 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 Chaffee 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 · 4 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 65 reports
Homicide
0
Robbery
1
Burglary
29
Vehicle theft
1
County-level data for Chaffee (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)
▲+492 people
+284 households • +$55.1M net AGI flow
Moved in
1,517households
2,367 people • $139.4M AGI
Moved out
1,233households
1,875 people • $84.3M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Jefferson County, CO — 80 households
- Denver County, CO — 72 households
- El Paso County, CO — 64 households
- Fremont County, CO — 40 households
- Boulder County, CO — 35 households
Where departing residents went
- El Paso County, CO — 56 households
- Fremont County, CO — 49 households
- Denver County, CO — 45 households
- Jefferson County, CO — 29 households
- Adams County, CO — 21 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $91,879 versus departing households' $68,338.
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 81242. 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 81242: Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $559,409, that works out to roughly $2,659/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 81242
Nearby ZIPs by distance
81201 (Maysville, 6.1 mi) · 81155 (Bonanza, 12.8 mi) · 81227 (Garfield, 12.9 mi) · 81233 (Howard, 14.1 mi) · 81222 (Coaldale, 16.1 mi) · 81236 (Nathrop, 17.5 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
24.4%
8.6pp below the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
30.6%
Tracks close to the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
21.6%
Tracks close to the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
74.4%
Tracks close to the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
6.8%
6.2pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
9.3%
Tracks close to the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
1
Median in-state tuition
$11,318
Median earnings (10 yr)
$46,833
- 4-Year
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, CO · 81231
- In-state tuition
- $11,318
- Out-of-state tuition
- $24,434
- Acceptance rate
- 99.7%
- Graduation rate
- 50.6%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $46,833
- Median student debt
- $20,250
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
Poncha Springs, CO (ZIP 81242) sits in Chaffee County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Obesity comes in below the national average at 24.4%. 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 $11,318. FEMA has issued 5 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 2002. Annual precipitation averages just 8.8" per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals — an arid-climate ZCTA where landscaping and water-budget choices matter more than national averages suggest. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 492 residents (284 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. 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 $68,826, fair market rent of $1,260 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $559,409, up 2.4% 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 21.6%. 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 81242
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 81242?
24.4%, which is 8.6 percentage points below the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 81242?
21.6%, which is 0.4 percentage points below the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 81242?
30.6%, which is 1.4 percentage points below the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 81242?
913 people live in ZIP 81242, with a median age of 52.3 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 81242?
$68,826 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 81242 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 81242, 84.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.7% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 81242?
In ZIP 81242, 15.1% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 81242?
10.7% of the population in ZIP 81242 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 81242 have broadband internet?
97.6% of households in ZIP 81242 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the typical home value in ZIP 81242?
The typical home value in ZIP 81242 is $559,409, up 2.4% from a year ago (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
Are home values rising or falling in ZIP 81242?
Home values are up 2.4% over the past year and up 34.1% over the past five years (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 81242?
As of 2022, 45 business establishments operated in ZIP 81242 employing 206 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 81242?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 81242 is $56,490, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 81242 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 81242 ranks in the 64th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 81242?
Housing Type & Transportation is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 81242, ranking in the 79th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 81242 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 5 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 81242 between 2002–2020 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 81242?
Biological is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 81242, accounting for 2 of 5 declarations (40%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 81242?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 81242 was "COVID-19 PANDEMIC" — a biological declared in 2020 (DR-4498) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 81242?
1 college or university is listed near ZIP 81242 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Western Colorado University (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 81242?
Median in-state tuition across 1 nearby institution is $11,318 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 81242?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $46,833 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 81242?
ZIP 81242 has an average annual temperature of 46.3°F and 8.8" of annual precipitation based on the SALIDA, CO US weather station 5.2 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 81242?
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 81242?
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 (5 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 (5 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 81242
Nearby ZIPs by distance
81201 (Maysville, 6.1 mi) · 81155 (Bonanza, 12.8 mi) · 81227 (Garfield, 12.9 mi) · 81233 (Howard, 14.1 mi) · 81222 (Coaldale, 16.1 mi) · 81236 (Nathrop, 17.5 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 81242?
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
64th percentile
High Vulnerability
Based on 2 census tracts, population 1,865
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
9
Limited English Speakers
20
Persons with Disability
205
Without HS Diploma
100
Without Health Insurance
203
Adults Age 65+
458
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.