PlainZIP

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
$100,568
Median income
$236,300
Median home value
13.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $41,134. Local economic indicators show a 5.6% poverty rate alongside 2.6% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $236,300 (8% below the state average) with median rent at $890 per month, and 89.2% of occupied units 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. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing McLeod County, so you can benchmark 55312 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 55312

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Brownton, MN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 55312.

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 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

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 55312?

46.5

Median Age

52.9%

Male

47.1%

Female

1.7%

Foreign-Born

White 94.2%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%

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

$41,134

Per Capita Income

5.6%

Poverty Rate

2.6%

Unemployment Rate

30.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 55312 ranks nationally

Brownton, MN household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$100,568 Top 19% higher than 81% 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%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). This entry sits in this band. $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 53.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 13.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

611

Total Housing Units

538

Occupied Units

73

Vacant Units

2.64

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 89.2%
Renter 10.8%

$236,300

Median Home Value

-8% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 55312 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 55312 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 55312 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
55366 New Auburn, MN 443 5.8 mi
55385 Stewart, MN 1,291 7.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in McLeod County

55350 standard
Hutchinson, MN
Pop: 18,280
55336 standard
Glencoe, MN
Pop: 8,054
55395 standard
Winsted, MN
Pop: 2,892
55354 standard
Lester Prairie, MN
Pop: 2,741
55381 standard
Silver Lake, MN
Pop: 2,063
55385 standard
Stewart, MN
Pop: 1,291

Related Areas

McLeod County Brownton, MN Minnesota

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.

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