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 Low-density area
- $64,861
- Median income Near-median income area
- $169,300
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 12.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 55342 (Hector, MN) rose +14.5% from 2023 to 2024.
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 average Minnesota ZIP), while per-capita income is $41,091. The poverty rate is 10.5%, with unemployment at 3.9%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $169,300 (34% below the average Minnesota ZIP), and median rent is $1,075; owner occupancy is 81.2%.
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. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Renville County, so 55342 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 55342
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Hector, MN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 55342.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
13 establishments
- Construction
Construction
8 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
8 establishments
- Retail trade 5
Retail trade
5 establishments
- Manufacturing 4
Manufacturing
4 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 55342?
40.7
Median Age
52.5%
Male
47.5%
Female
1.9%
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?
$64,861
Median Household Income
-21% vs state ZIP avg
$41,091
Per Capita Income
10.5%
Poverty Rate
3.9%
Unemployment Rate
20.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 55342 ranks among Minnesota ZIPs
Hector, 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)
$64,861 21st percentile higher than 21% 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
949housing units
949
Total Housing Units
834
Occupied Units
115
Vacant Units
2.35
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$169,300
Median Home Value
-34% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 55342
Hector (55342)
2,015 residents
- 55310
Bird Island (55310)
1,519 residents
- 55314
Buffalo Lake (55314)
1,337 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 55342 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 55342 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55310
Bird Island (55310)
$87,292 median income
- 55314
Buffalo Lake (55314)
$79,500 median income
- 55342
Hector (55342)
$64,861 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 55342, 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 (2,015 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Renville County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 55342's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 55342 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Hector, 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.