Forbes, MN · standard
ZIP Code 55738
St. Louis County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 544
- 2/sq mi
- $82,969
- Median income
- $167,400
- Median home value
- 15.5%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Forbes pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 34%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 33th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 2
- people per sq mi
- 97%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 55738 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 55738 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 286.3 square miles in Forbes, St. Louis County, Minnesota. The area is home to 544 residents, producing a population density of 2 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 55738 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 55738 sits at $82,969 (1% above the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $39,771. The poverty rate stands at 7.7% and the unemployment rate at 9.0%. On housing, the median home value is $167,400 (35% below the state average) with median rent at — per month, and 97.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 55738 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 15.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 49.3, and the average commute is —. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing St. Louis County, so you can benchmark 55738 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 →
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 55738, Forbes, 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
544
Population
286.3
Area (sq mi)
2
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 55738?
49.3
Median Age
50.9%
Male
49.1%
Female
0.2%
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?
$82,969
Median Household Income
+1% vs state
$39,771
Per Capita Income
7.7%
Poverty Rate
9.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 55738 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$82,969 Top 34% higher than 66% 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?
318
Total Housing Units
245
Occupied Units
73
Vacant Units
2.44
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$167,400
Median Home Value
-35% vs state
1973
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 4 business establishments in ZIP 55738, employing approximately 11 people with a combined annual payroll of $250,000.
4
Businesses
11
Employees
$250K
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 55738 vs 55751 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55751 | Iron, MN | 1,553 | 8.6 mi |
More ZIP Codes in St. Louis County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Forbes, 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.