Nerstrand, MN · standard
ZIP Code 55053
Rice County, Minnesota - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,009
- 9/sq mi Low-density area
- $101,406
- Median income Above-median income area
- $353,900
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 28.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Nerstrand pairs an upper-quartile household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 18%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 26%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 9
- people per sq mi
- 94%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 55053 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 55053 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Nerstrand, Rice County, Minnesota, home to just 1,009 residents across 110.9 square miles, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 55053 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $101,406 (23% above the average Minnesota ZIP), while per-capita income is $41,174. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 4.8% and unemployment is 1.1%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $353,900 (38% above the average Minnesota ZIP), while 94.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,000.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 28.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.4, and the average commute is 30 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Rice County, so 55053 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 55053
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Nerstrand, MN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 55053.
- Construction
Construction
8 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
4 establishments
- Finance and insurance 3
Finance and insurance
3 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services 3
Professional, scientific, and technical services
3 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
3 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 55053, Nerstrand, 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
1,009
Population
110.9
Area (sq mi)
9
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 55053?
39.4
Median Age
53.5%
Male
46.5%
Female
1.4%
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?
$101,406
Median Household Income
+23% vs state ZIP avg
$41,174
Per Capita Income
4.8%
Poverty Rate
1.1%
Unemployment Rate
30.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 55053 ranks among Minnesota ZIPs
Nerstrand, MN household income vs. every Minnesota ZIP code
Median household income among 864 reporting Minnesota ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$101,406 Top 16% higher than 84% of 864 Minnesota ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Minnesota 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
362housing units
362
Total Housing Units
341
Occupied Units
21
Vacant Units
2.91
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$353,900
Median Home Value
+38% vs state ZIP avg
$1,000
Median Rent
1969
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
+3.9%
YoY Change (2024)
214
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+114%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 55053 have increased 3.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +114% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +10.2% | 153 |
| 2020 | +9.5% | 168 |
| 2021 | +9.4% | 184 |
| 2022 | +3.9% | 191 |
| 2024 | – | 214 |
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 32 business establishments in ZIP 55053, employing approximately 171 people with a combined annual payroll of $8,333,000.
32
Businesses
171
Employees
$8.3M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 8 | 25.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 12.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 3 | 9.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 9.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 9.4% |
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 55053 vs 55018 →
ZIP 55053 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55057
Northfield (55057)
24,602 residents
- 55946 3,178
Kenyon (55946)
3,178 residents
- 55053 1,009
Nerstrand (55053)
1,009 residents
- 55018 997
Dennison (55018)
997 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 55053 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 55053 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55053
Nerstrand (55053)
$101,406 median income
- 55057
Northfield (55057)
$92,622 median income
- 55946
Kenyon (55946)
$85,781 median income
- 55018
Dennison (55018)
$83,854 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 55053 ranks the highest of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 55053, both outside MN so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,009 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Rice County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 55053 in?
ZIP code 55053 (Nerstrand) is located in Rice County, Minnesota. Rice County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/rice-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 55053?
ZIP code 55053 in Nerstrand, MN has a population of 1,009 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 55053?
The median household income in ZIP 55053 is $101,406, which is 33% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 55053?
The median home value in ZIP 55053 is $353,900, which is 27% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 55053?
The largest racial group in ZIP 55053 is White at 89.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 55053?
ZIP code 55053 has 32 business establishments employing approximately 171 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 55053?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 55053 are: Construction (8), Other services (except public administration) (4), Finance and insurance (3). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 55053?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 55053 increased by 3.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 114%. 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 55053?
In ZIP code 55053, 63.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 28.6% 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 55053?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 55053 is 30.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 55053?
In ZIP code 55053, approximately 94.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 5.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 55053?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 55053 is 4.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 55053's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 55053 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Nerstrand, MN ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.