Medford, MN · standard
ZIP Code 55049
Steele County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,476
- 20/sq mi
- $90,625
- Median income
- $247,800
- Median home value
- 22.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Medford pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 26%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 43%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 20
- people per sq mi
- 86%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 55049 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 55049 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 124.4 square miles in Medford, Steele County, Minnesota. The area is home to 2,476 residents, producing a population density of 20 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 55049 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 55049 sits at $90,625 (10% above the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $40,500. The poverty rate stands at 6.9% and the unemployment rate at 2.9%. On housing, the median home value is $247,800 (3% below the state average) with median rent at $1,302 per month, and 86.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 55049 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.7, and the average commute is 20 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 additional ZIPs sharing Steele County, so you can benchmark 55049 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 55049
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 55049.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
17 establishments
- Construction
Construction
12 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
7 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
7 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 6
Other services (except public administration)
6 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 55049, Medford, MN · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
2,476
Population
124.4
Area (sq mi)
20
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 55049?
38.7
Median Age
50.2%
Male
49.8%
Female
10.2%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$90,625
Median Household Income
+10% vs state
$40,500
Per Capita Income
6.9%
Poverty Rate
2.9%
Unemployment Rate
19.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 55049 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$90,625 Top 26% higher than 74% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
1,002
Total Housing Units
945
Occupied Units
57
Vacant Units
2.76
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$247,800
Median Home Value
-3% vs state
$1,302
Median Rent
1991
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+5.3%
YoY Change (2024)
232
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+132%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 55049 have increased 5.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +132% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.4% | 158 |
| 2021 | +7.0% | 169 |
| 2022 | +18.8% | 201 |
| 2023 | +9.5% | 220 |
| 2024 | +5.3% | 232 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 67 business establishments in ZIP 55049, employing approximately 550 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,387,000.
67
Businesses
550
Employees
$16.4M
Annual Payroll
8
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 17 | 25.4% |
| Construction | 12 | 17.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7 | 10.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 7 | 10.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6 | 9.0% |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 7.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 4.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 4.5% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 55049 vs 55060 →
ZIP 55049 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 55049 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 55049 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55049
Medford (55049)
$90,625 median income
- 55060
Owatonna (55060)
$84,906 median income
- 55021
Faribault (55021)
$68,820 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 55049 ranks the highest of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Steele County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Medford, MN
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.