What city is 85281 in?

85281 is a Tempe, AZ mailing address. By land area, 98% lies inside Tempe.

What is the population of 85281?

About 72,762 people (±2,163), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 69,218.

What is the median household income in 85281?

$64,538 (±$6,598), compared with $79,964 for Arizona as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.

How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 85281?

23 USPS carrier routes with 20,778 residential and 1,934 business mailboxes (22,679 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.

What ZIP codes are near 85281?

The closest, measured center to center: 85282 (2.3 mi, Tempe), 85026 (2.7 mi, Phoenix), 85257 (2.7 mi, Scottsdale), 85008 (4 mi, Phoenix), 85283 (4.3 mi, Tempe) and 85034 (4.7 mi, Phoenix).

85281 ZIP Code, Tempe, AZ

85281 is a ZIP code in Tempe, Arizona in Maricopa County. It covers 13 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 85282, 85026 and 85257. 72,762 people live here in 29,307 households, which puts it among the most populous 1% of Arizona ZIP codes. At about 5,468 people per square mile it is built up to city-neighborhood density, and most households rent (24% own). Median household income is $64,538, below the Arizona median of $79,964; the median age is 25.4, younger than most ZIP codes.

Quick facts

Mailing city: Tempe, AZ
County: Maricopa County
Land area: 13 sq mi
Population: 72,762
Median household income: $64,538
Carrier routes: 23 (20,778 homes)

Key figures

Measure	Value
Residents	72,762
Households	29,307
Median household income	$64,538
Income per person	$34,117
Median age	25.4
Homeowners	23.7%
Median home value	$381,000
Median rent	$1,677
Bachelor's degree or higher	50.1%
Average commute (minutes)	21.1
Households with kids under 18	11.3%
Moved in the past year	35.8%
Below the poverty line	24.6%
Broadband internet	91.7%
Speak a non-English language at home	27.9%

Household income

% of households	Value
<$10K	10.5%
$10–15K	2.9%
$15–25K	7.2%
$25–35K	6.3%
$35–50K	13.6%
$50–75K	15.2%
$75–100K	14.6%
$100–150K	17.9%
$150–200K	6.1%
$200K+	5.9%

Age

% of all residents	Value
<10	5.1%
10–19	16.8%
20–24	26.7%
25–34	25.6%
35–44	9.0%
45–54	5.5%
55–64	4.9%
65–74	3.4%
75+	3.0%

Tenure

% of housing units	Value
Owned, with mortgage	12.1%
Owned outright	8.8%
Rented	65.4%
Vacant	13.7%

Type of building

% of housing units	Value
Detached house	19.1%
Townhome	10.9%
2–4 units	10.5%
5–19 units	18.6%
20+ units	39.0%
Mobile / other	1.9%

Businesses in 85281

2,295 business establishments with 95,380 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).

Accommodation and Food Services: 306
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 276
Retail Trade: 240
Construction: 198
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 194
Other Services (except Public Administration): 181
Manufacturing: 146
Wholesale Trade: 143

EDDM carrier routes

85281 has 23 USPS carrier routes with 20,778 residential and 1,934 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.

Carrier routes in 85281

85281 has 23 USPS carrier routes (23 city (C)) with 20,778 residential and 1,934 business mailboxes. Routes range from 100 homes (C032) to 1,920 homes (C009); the median route has 935 homes. The Census counted 29,307 households in 85281 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.

Homes per route	Routes
1–249	2
250–499	3
500–749	5
750–999	3
1,000–1,499	8
1,500+	2

Best routes in 85281 for…

Most businesses

For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.

Route C001 — USPS business mailboxes 298, 1,107 homes
Route C041 — USPS business mailboxes 294, 267 homes
Route C026 — USPS business mailboxes 253, 127 homes
Route C032 — USPS business mailboxes 237, 100 homes
Route C011 — USPS business mailboxes 149, 958 homes

Select these 5 routes on the route map

Every carrier route in 85281

Route	Type	Homes	Businesses	Est. median income	Est. owners	Est. families with kids	Est. moved in past year
C001	City	1,107	298	$82,924	—	—	—
C002	City	1,023	20	$13,413	—	—	—
C003	City	445	13	$56,129	—	—	—
C004	City	715	10	$61,714	—	—	—
C007	City	935	31	$36,671	—	—	—
C008	City	896	24	$32,824	—	—	—
C009	City	1,920	45	$36,726	—	—	—
C010	City	567	2	$83,193	—	—	—
C011	City	958	149	$82,924	—	—	—
C012	City	1,145	127	$41,310	—	—	—
C013	City	673	27	$65,224	—	—	—
C017	City	1,154	49	$65,224	—	—	—
C018	City	563	4	$65,224	—	—	—
C023	City	1,432	32	$55,004	—	—	—
C026	City	127	253	$82,924	—	—	—
C029	City	1,303	81	$56,129	—	—	—
C032	City	100	237	$82,924	—	—	—
C037	City	1,613	76	$29,943	—	—	—
C041	City	267	294	$59,004	—	—	—
C044	City	492	4	$80,831	—	—	—
C072	City	1,269	126	$66,597	—	—	—
C073	City	702	3	$58,668	—	—	—
C076	City	1,372	29	$41,310	—	—	—

Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 85281 on the EDDM route map.

How route demographics are estimated

Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates

The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).

How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method

We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.

Margins of error

Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.

Different years

USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.

Why some routes show identical figures

Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.

Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Nearby ZIP codes

85282 — Tempe city, AZ (2.3 mi)
85026 — Phoenix city, AZ (2.7 mi)
85257 — Scottsdale city, AZ (2.7 mi)
85008 — Phoenix city, AZ (4 mi)
85283 — Tempe city, AZ (4.3 mi)
85034 — Phoenix city, AZ (4.7 mi)
85202 — Mesa city, AZ (4.7 mi)
85251 — Scottsdale city, AZ (4.7 mi)

Areas that include 85281

Tempe, AZ ZIP codes — 4 ZIP codes
Maricopa County ZIP codes — 139 ZIP codes
Arizona ZIP code data

Where it ranks

Mail every home in 85281

Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.

EDDM guides

ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 85281, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.

Frequently asked questions

What city is 85281 in?: 85281 is a Tempe, AZ mailing address. By land area, 98% lies inside Tempe.
What county is 85281 in?: 85281 is in Maricopa County.
What is the population of 85281?: About 72,762 people (±2,163), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 69,218.
What is the median household income in 85281?: $64,538 (±$6,598), compared with $79,964 for Arizona as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 85281?: 23 USPS carrier routes with 20,778 residential and 1,934 business mailboxes (22,679 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
What ZIP codes are near 85281?: The closest, measured center to center: 85282 (2.3 mi, Tempe), 85026 (2.7 mi, Phoenix), 85257 (2.7 mi, Scottsdale), 85008 (4 mi, Phoenix), 85283 (4.3 mi, Tempe) and 85034 (4.7 mi, Phoenix).

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.