New Ulm, MN · standard

ZIP Code 56073

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

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 11, 2026

16,759
32/sq mi: $70,250
Median income: $218,700
Median home value: 27.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

47th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 49th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 32
people per sq mi: 78%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56073 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 56073 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 517.3 square miles in New Ulm, Brown County, Minnesota. The area is home to 16,759 residents, producing a population density of 32 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 56073 against Minnesota and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56073 sits at $70,250 (14% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $37,912. The poverty rate stands at 8.2% and the unemployment rate at 2.8%. On housing, the median home value is $218,700 (14% below the state average) with median rent at $959 per month, and 77.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56073 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 27.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41, and the average commute is 14 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 additional ZIPs sharing Brown County, so you can benchmark 56073 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 56073

Retail trade

66
Health care and social assistance

63
Construction

60
Other services (except public administration)

56
Accommodation and food services

43

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 56073, New Ulm, MN · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-11 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

16,759

Population

517.3

Area (sq mi)

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 56073?

41.0

Median Age

49.6%

Male

50.4%

Female

2.0%

Foreign-Born

White 95.1%

African American 0.7%

Asian 0.6%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 2.1%

Hispanic or Latino 2.9%

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?

$70,250

Median Household Income

-14% vs state

$37,912

Per Capita Income

8.2%

Poverty Rate

2.8%

Unemployment Rate

13.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 56073 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$70,250 47th percentile higher than 47% 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 60.6%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 27.2%

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

What does housing look like?

7,718

Total Housing Units

7,344

Occupied Units

374

Vacant Units

2.23

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.9%

Renter 22.1%

$218,700

Median Home Value

-14% vs state

$959

Median Rent

1967

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

+10.9%

YoY Change (2024)

210

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+110%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 56073 have increased 10.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +110% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+0.4%	149
2021	+8.7%	162
2022	+11.4%	180
2023	+5.0%	189
2024	+10.9%	210

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 499 business establishments in ZIP 56073, employing approximately 9,829 people with a combined annual payroll of $497,545,000.

499

Businesses

9,829

Employees

$497.5M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	66	13.2%
Health care and social assistance	63	12.6%
Construction	60	12.0%
Other services (except public administration)	56	11.2%
Accommodation and food services	43	8.6%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	35	7.0%
Finance and insurance	32	6.4%
Manufacturing	30	6.0%
Transportation and warehousing	26	5.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	20	4.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	19	3.8%
Wholesale trade	14	2.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing	12	2.4%
Educational services	9	1.8%
Information	6	1.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	5	1.0%
Management of companies and enterprises	3	0.6%

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 56073 vs 56054 →

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
56054	Lafayette, MN	923	10.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Brown County

Brown County New Ulm, MN Minnesota

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 56073 in? ▼

ZIP code 56073 (New Ulm) is located in Brown County, Minnesota. Brown County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/brown-mn.

What is the population of ZIP code 56073? ▼

ZIP code 56073 in New Ulm, MN has a population of 16,759 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 56073? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 56073 is $70,250, which is 8% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 56073? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 56073 is $218,700, which is 21% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56073? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 56073 is White at 95.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.9% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 56073? ▼

ZIP code 56073 has 499 business establishments employing approximately 9,829 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 56073? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 56073 are: Retail trade (66), Health care and social assistance (63), Construction (60). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 56073? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 56073 increased by 10.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 110%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 56073? ▼

In ZIP code 56073, 60.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 27.2% 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 56073? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56073 is 13.7 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 56073? ▼

In ZIP code 56073, approximately 77.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56073? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 56073 is 8.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.