Buffalo Lake, MN · standard
ZIP Code 55314
Renville County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,337
- 7/sq mi
- $79,500
- Median income
- $179,200
- Median home value
- 19.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Buffalo Lake pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 39%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 38th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 7
- people per sq mi
- 83%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 55314 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 55314 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 193.8 square miles in Buffalo Lake, Renville County, Minnesota. The area is home to 1,337 residents, producing a population density of 7 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 55314 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 55314 sits at $79,500 (3% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $39,125. The poverty rate stands at 11.9% and the unemployment rate at 3.8%. On housing, the median home value is $179,200 (30% below the state average) with median rent at $781 per month, and 82.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 55314 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 19.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.8, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Renville County, so you can benchmark 55314 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 55314
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 55314.
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
5 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
4 establishments
- Construction
Construction
3 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 55314, Buffalo Lake, 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
1,337
Population
193.8
Area (sq mi)
7
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 55314?
44.8
Median Age
51.5%
Male
48.5%
Female
5.4%
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?
$79,500
Median Household Income
-3% vs state
$39,125
Per Capita Income
11.9%
Poverty Rate
3.8%
Unemployment Rate
26.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 55314 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$79,500 Top 39% higher than 61% 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?
530
Total Housing Units
450
Occupied Units
80
Vacant Units
2.46
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$179,200
Median Home Value
-30% vs state
$781
Median Rent
1964
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 28 business establishments in ZIP 55314, employing approximately 642 people with a combined annual payroll of $33,598,000.
28
Businesses
642
Employees
$33.6M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 17.9% |
| Health care and social assistance | 5 | 17.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 14.3% |
| Construction | 3 | 10.7% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 10.7% |
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 55314 vs 55385 →
ZIP 55314 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55342
Hector (55342)
2,015 residents
- 55314
Buffalo Lake (55314)
1,337 residents
- 55385
Stewart (55385)
1,291 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 55314 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 55314 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55314
Buffalo Lake (55314)
$79,500 median income
- 55385
Stewart (55385)
$78,125 median income
- 55342
Hector (55342)
$64,861 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 55314 ranks the highest of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Renville County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 55314 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 55314? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 55314? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 55314? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 55314? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 55314? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 55314? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 55314? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 55314? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 55314? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 55314? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Buffalo Lake, 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.