Brownton, MN · standard
ZIP Code 55312
McLeod County, Minnesota - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,595
- 9/sq mi Low-density area
- $100,568
- Median income Above-median income area
- $236,300
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 13.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Brownton pairs an upper-quartile household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 19%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 46%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 9
- people per sq mi
- 89%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 55312 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 55312 covers 185.5 square miles in Brownton, McLeod County, Minnesota (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,595 residents on file, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 55312 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $100,568 (22% above the average Minnesota ZIP), while per-capita income is $41,134. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 5.6% and unemployment is 2.6%. Median home value is $236,300 (8% below the average Minnesota ZIP) and median rent is $890; 89.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 13.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.5, and the average commute is 30 minutes. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in McLeod County, so 55312 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 55312
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Brownton, MN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 55312.
- Construction
Construction
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
4 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
3 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
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 55312, Brownton, 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
1,595
Population
185.5
Area (sq mi)
9
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 55312?
46.5
Median Age
52.9%
Male
47.1%
Female
1.7%
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?
$100,568
Median Household Income
+22% vs state ZIP avg
$41,134
Per Capita Income
5.6%
Poverty Rate
2.6%
Unemployment Rate
30.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 55312 ranks among Minnesota ZIPs
Brownton, 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)
$100,568 Top 17% higher than 83% 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
611housing units
611
Total Housing Units
538
Occupied Units
73
Vacant Units
2.64
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$236,300
Median Home Value
-8% vs state ZIP avg
$890
Median Rent
1955
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 23 business establishments in ZIP 55312, employing approximately 73 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,790,000.
23
Businesses
73
Employees
$5.8M
Annual Payroll
4
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 5 | 21.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 17.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 13.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 13.0% |
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 55312 vs 55366 →
ZIP 55312 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55312
Brownton (55312)
1,595 residents
- 55385
Stewart (55385)
1,291 residents
- 55366 443
New Auburn (55366)
443 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 55312 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 55312 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55312
Brownton (55312)
$100,568 median income
- 55385
Stewart (55385)
$78,125 median income
- 55366
New Auburn (55366)
$72,500 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 55312 ranks the highest of 3 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 55312, 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 (1,595 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in McLeod County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 55312 in?
ZIP code 55312 (Brownton) is located in McLeod County, Minnesota. McLeod County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/mcleod-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 55312?
ZIP code 55312 in Brownton, MN has a population of 1,595 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 55312?
The median household income in ZIP 55312 is $100,568, which is 32% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 55312?
The median home value in ZIP 55312 is $236,300, which is 15% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 55312?
The largest racial group in ZIP 55312 is White at 94.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 55312?
ZIP code 55312 has 23 business establishments employing approximately 73 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 55312?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 55312 are: Construction (5), Other services (except public administration) (4), Wholesale trade (3). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 55312?
In ZIP code 55312, 53.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 13.0% 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 55312?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 55312 is 30.2 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 55312?
In ZIP code 55312, approximately 89.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 10.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 55312?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 55312 is 5.6% 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 55312's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 55312 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Brownton, MN ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.