PlainZIP

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 covers 124.4 square miles in Medford, Steele County, Minnesota (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,476 residents on file, a density of 20 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 55049 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $90,625 (10% above the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $40,500. Local economic indicators show a 6.9% poverty rate alongside 2.9% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $247,800 (3% below the state average); renters pay a median of $1,302 monthly, and 86.0% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 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 on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 55049

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Medford, MN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 55049.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 55049?

38.7

Median Age

50.2%

Male

49.8%

Female

10.2%

Foreign-Born

White 85.8%
African American 0.6%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 17.6%

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

Medford, MN 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

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 56.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.0%

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

Owner 86.0%
Renter 14.0%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 55049 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 55049 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
55060 Owatonna, MN 28,911 8.1 mi
55021 Faribault, MN 29,732 8.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Steele County

55060 standard
Owatonna, MN
Pop: 28,911
55917 standard
Blooming Prairie, MN
Pop: 3,696
56026 standard
Ellendale, MN
Pop: 2,012
56046 standard
Hope, MN
Pop: 94

Related Areas

Steele County Medford, MN Minnesota

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 55049 in? ▼
ZIP code 55049 (Medford) is located in Steele County, Minnesota. Steele County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/steele-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 55049? ▼
ZIP code 55049 in Medford, MN has a population of 2,476 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 55049? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 55049 is $90,625, which is 19% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 55049? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 55049 is $247,800, which is 11% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 55049? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 55049 is White at 85.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 17.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 55049? ▼
ZIP code 55049 has 67 business establishments employing approximately 550 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 55049? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 55049 are: Retail trade (17), Construction (12), Transportation and warehousing (7). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 55049? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 55049 increased by 5.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 132%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 55049? ▼
In ZIP code 55049, 56.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 55049? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 55049 is 19.8 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 55049? ▼
In ZIP code 55049, approximately 86.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 14.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 55049? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 55049 is 6.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.