PlainZIP

Hector, MN · standard

ZIP Code 55342

Renville County, Minnesota - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

2,015
5/sq mi
$64,861
Median income
$169,300
Median home value
12.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Hector pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

38th pct
household income, US ZIPs
34th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
81%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 55342 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 55342 covers 419.8 square miles in Hector, Renville County, Minnesota (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,015 residents on file, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 55342 reports a modest median household income of $64,861 (21% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $41,091. The poverty rate stands at 10.5% and the unemployment rate at 3.9%. Housing costs here run $169,300 for a typical home value (34% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,075 a month; 81.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.7, and the average commute is 21 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Renville County, so you can benchmark 55342 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 55342

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Hector, MN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 55342.

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 55342, Hector, 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

2,015

Population

419.8

Area (sq mi)

5

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 55342?

40.7

Median Age

52.5%

Male

47.5%

Female

1.9%

Foreign-Born

White 90.8%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%

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?

$64,861

Median Household Income

-21% vs state

$41,091

Per Capita Income

10.5%

Poverty Rate

3.9%

Unemployment Rate

20.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 55342 ranks nationally

Hector, MN household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$64,861 38th percentile higher than 38% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $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 47.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 12.7%

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

What does housing look like?

949

Total Housing Units

834

Occupied Units

115

Vacant Units

2.35

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 81.2%
Renter 18.8%

$169,300

Median Home Value

-34% vs state

$1,075

Median Rent

1958

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 59 business establishments in ZIP 55342, employing approximately 416 people with a combined annual payroll of $24,963,000.

59

Businesses

416

Employees

$25.0M

Annual Payroll

8

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 13 22.0%
Construction 8 13.6%
Transportation and warehousing 8 13.6%
Retail trade 5 8.5%
Manufacturing 4 6.8%
Wholesale trade 4 6.8%
Health care and social assistance 4 6.8%
Finance and insurance 3 5.1%

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 55342 vs 55314 →

ZIP 55342 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 55342 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 55342 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 55342 ranks #3 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
55314 Buffalo Lake, MN 1,337 6.7 mi
55310 Bird Island, MN 1,519 7.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Renville County

56277 standard
Olivia, MN
Pop: 3,191
56284 standard
Renville, MN
Pop: 2,111
55332 standard
Fairfax, MN
Pop: 1,922
55310 standard
Bird Island, MN
Pop: 1,519
55314 standard
Buffalo Lake, MN
Pop: 1,337
56285 standard
Sacred Heart, MN
Pop: 1,096

Related Areas

Renville County Hector, MN Minnesota

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 55342 in? ▼
ZIP code 55342 (Hector) is located in Renville County, Minnesota. Renville County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/renville-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 55342? ▼
ZIP code 55342 in Hector, MN has a population of 2,015 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 55342? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 55342 is $64,861, which is 15% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 55342? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 55342 is $169,300, which is 39% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 55342? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 55342 is White at 90.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 55342? ▼
ZIP code 55342 has 59 business establishments employing approximately 416 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 55342? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 55342 are: Other services (except public administration) (13), Construction (8), Transportation and warehousing (8). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 55342? ▼
In ZIP code 55342, 47.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.7% 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 55342? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 55342 is 20.6 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 55342? ▼
In ZIP code 55342, approximately 81.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 55342? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 55342 is 10.5% 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.