Lester Prairie, MN · standard
ZIP Code 55354
McLeod County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,741
- 33/sq mi
- $97,941
- Median income
- $268,900
- Median home value
- 17.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Lester Prairie pairs an upper-quartile household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 20%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 39%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 33
- people per sq mi
- 88%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 55354 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 55354 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 82.1 square miles in Lester Prairie, McLeod County, Minnesota. The area is home to 2,741 residents, producing a population density of 33 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 55354 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 55354 sits at $97,941 (19% above the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $41,856. The poverty rate stands at 3.7% and the unemployment rate at 1.3%. On housing, the median home value is $268,900 (5% above the state average) with median rent at $725 per month, and 88.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 55354 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 17.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.9, and the average commute is 28 minutes. We also surface 7 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing McLeod County, so you can benchmark 55354 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 55354
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 55354.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
9 establishments
- Construction
Construction
7 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
7 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
5 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
5 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 55354, Lester Prairie, 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
2,741
Population
82.1
Area (sq mi)
33
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 55354?
33.9
Median Age
51.9%
Male
48.1%
Female
4.5%
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?
$97,941
Median Household Income
+19% vs state
$41,856
Per Capita Income
3.7%
Poverty Rate
1.3%
Unemployment Rate
27.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 55354 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$97,941 Top 20% higher than 80% 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?
1,143
Total Housing Units
1,100
Occupied Units
43
Vacant Units
2.87
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$268,900
Median Home Value
+5% vs state
$725
Median Rent
1978
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
-0.7%
YoY Change (2024)
214
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+114%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 55354 have decreased 0.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +114% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +6.9% | 159 |
| 2021 | +6.5% | 169 |
| 2022 | +21.8% | 206 |
| 2023 | +4.5% | 215 |
| 2024 | -0.7% | 214 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 55 business establishments in ZIP 55354, employing approximately 523 people with a combined annual payroll of $34,058,000.
55
Businesses
523
Employees
$34.1M
Annual Payroll
9
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 9 | 16.4% |
| Construction | 7 | 12.7% |
| Manufacturing | 7 | 12.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 9.1% |
| Retail trade | 5 | 9.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 5 | 9.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 5.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 5.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3 | 5.5% |
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 55354 vs 55395 →
ZIP 55354 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55336
Glencoe (55336)
8,054 residents
- 55395 2,892
Winsted (55395)
2,892 residents
- 55354 2,741
Lester Prairie (55354)
2,741 residents
- 55397 2,693
Young America (55397)
2,693 residents
- 55360 2,672
Mayer (55360)
2,672 residents
- 55381 2,063
Silver Lake (55381)
2,063 residents
- 55367 913
New Germany (55367)
913 residents
- 55370 802
Plato (55370)
802 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 55354 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 55354 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55360
Mayer (55360)
$122,117 median income
- 55370
Plato (55370)
$103,750 median income
- 55354
Lester Prairie (55354)
$97,941 median income
- 55367
New Germany (55367)
$94,107 median income
- 55381
Silver Lake (55381)
$88,661 median income
- 55397
Young America (55397)
$81,957 median income
- 55336
Glencoe (55336)
$77,261 median income
- 55395
Winsted (55395)
$72,800 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 55354 ranks #3 of 8 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in McLeod County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 55354 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 55354? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 55354? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 55354? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 55354? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 55354? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 55354? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 55354? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 55354? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 55354? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 55354? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 55354? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Lester Prairie, 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.