ZIP 81501 vs ZIP 81520

81501 is one of 17 ZIP codes that lie mostly in Mesa County, CO.

Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 14 of the 15 with a value.

Mapped in and around 81501: 158 places to go — 39 dining, 34 trails, 30 arts & venues.

12 school locations in 81501: 6 elementary, 1 middle, 5 high.

In alphabetical order: Chipeta Elementary School, Dual Immersion Academy School, East Middle School, Grand Junction High School, and more on the ZIP page. Locations only — no ratings are shown here.

81520 is one of 17 ZIP codes that lie mostly in Mesa County, CO.

Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 15 of the 15 with a value.

Mapped in and around 81520: 33 places to go — 12 dining, 9 day trips, 5 parks & open space.

3 school locations in 81520: 2 elementary, 1 middle.

In alphabetical order: Clifton Elementary School, Mount Garfield Middle School, Rocky Mountain Elementary School. Locations only — no ratings are shown here.

In January 2000 the typical home in 81501 was worth $105,638.

Values peaked at $349,514 in April 2026. The latest reading is −0.5% from that peak.

As of August 2026: $347,835, +1.2% over twelve months.

Start with the typical home: $347,835. Put 20% down and borrow $278,268 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.

That is $1,927 a month in principal and interest.

The median household here earns $48,500 a year, $4,042 a month. So the payment takes 47.7% of income — rated “severe” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).

The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 14.5% in 2000.

Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in January 2000 (8.21%) the payment was $633.

In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $804.

By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $1,790 — +122% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +40%.

Reported values rose +229% since January 2000.

General prices (CPI-U) rose +97% over the same span.

Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2000 home was worth $208,487. So the real change is +67%, not +229%.

81501: +229% since January 2000.

Mesa County: +206% since January 2000.

Colorado: +199% since January 2000 — 81501 ran ahead of it by 31 points.

Owning the typical home costs about $2,275 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $1,540 a month.

Price divided by a year's rent: 18.8. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.

In January 2000 the typical home in 81520 was worth $96,342.

Values peaked at $333,166 in March 2026. The latest reading is −0.4% from that peak.

As of August 2026: $331,767, +1.1% over twelve months.

Start with the typical home: $331,767. Put 20% down and borrow $265,414 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.

That is $1,838 a month in principal and interest.

The median household here earns $50,769 a year, $4,231 a month. So the payment takes 43.4% of income — rated “severe” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).

The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 12.6% in 2000.

Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in January 2000 (8.21%) the payment was $577.

In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $720.

By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $1,707 — +137% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +49%.

Reported values rose +244% since January 2000.

General prices (CPI-U) rose +97% over the same span.

Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2000 home was worth $190,141. So the real change is +74%, not +244%.

81520: +244% since January 2000.

Mesa County: +206% since January 2000.

Colorado: +199% since January 2000 — 81520 ran ahead of it by 46 points.

Owning the typical home costs about $2,169 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $1,380 a month.

Price divided by a year's rent: 20.0. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.

Picture the Listings Flow Ladder as a basin: new listings pour in from the faucet, the homes for sale are the water, and closed sales run out the drain. Coming in — new listings: about 42 a month (Redfin, 3-month rolling data through August 2026). That is 91% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

On the shelf — homes for sale at the end of the period: 113.

Going out — closed sales: about 28 a month. That is 59% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months. The drain is drawn 40% narrower: the share of homes for sale that sell each month is 60% of its 2015–2019 level.

The ladder: homes for sale ÷ monthly sales = 4.1 months of supply — inside the 4–6 month balanced range. In the basin, that is the water level against the shaded balanced band.

The net reading: about 15 more homes came on than sold each month, so inventory is growing. The basin is filling.

Homes sold: about 28 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).

The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 37 — so sales ran at 76% of it, and below it in 22 of the last 24 months.

Across Mesa County, builders pulled permits for 810 new homes in 2025.

Of those, 86% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).

Picture the Listings Flow Ladder as a basin: new listings pour in from the faucet, the homes for sale are the water, and closed sales run out the drain. Coming in — new listings: about 22 a month (Redfin, 3-month rolling data through August 2026). That is 84% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

On the shelf — homes for sale at the end of the period: 57.

Going out — closed sales: about 15 a month. That is 61% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months. The drain is drawn 20% narrower: the share of homes for sale that sell each month is 80% of its 2015–2019 level.

The ladder: homes for sale ÷ monthly sales = 3.7 months of supply — below the 4–6 month range Lotvox treats as balanced. In the basin, that is the water level against the shaded balanced band.

The net reading: about 7 more homes came on than sold each month, so inventory is growing. The basin is filling.

Homes sold: about 15 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).

The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 21 — so sales ran at 71% of it, and below it in 23 of the last 24 months.

Across Mesa County, builders pulled permits for 810 new homes in 2025.

Of those, 86% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).

This ZIP sits in Mesa County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 1,295 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 976 moved out.

Net across those counties: +319 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 113 in June 2026.

Most arrivals came from Garfield, CO (237 households); most departures went to Delta, CO (151).

County assessor records list 6,035 properties with a market value here. Their average assessed market value is $310,120; the typical home value is $347,835.

The assessor average sits −10.8% from the market figure — an average against a typical value, so treat it as a check, not a verdict.

Of 6,865 homes with a recorded purchase date, 26% have had the same owner for 20 years or more, and 25% changed hands in the last five.

41% are owned from a different mailing address, 5% from out of state.

This ZIP sits in Mesa County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 1,295 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 976 moved out.

Net across those counties: +319 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 57 in June 2026.

Most arrivals came from Garfield, CO (237 households); most departures went to Delta, CO (151).

County assessor records list 3,176 properties with a market value here. Their average assessed market value is $281,515; the typical home value is $331,767.

The assessor average sits −15.1% from the market figure — an average against a typical value, so treat it as a check, not a verdict.

Of 4,452 homes with a recorded purchase date, 25% have had the same owner for 20 years or more, and 27% changed hands in the last five.

27% are owned from a different mailing address, 3% from out of state.