Saint James, MN · standard
ZIP Code 56081
Watonwan County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 6,098
- 13/sq mi
- $67,337
- Median income
- $163,800
- Median home value
- 16.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Saint James pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 42th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 32th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 13
- people per sq mi
- 72%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56081 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 56081 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 455.1 square miles in Saint James, Watonwan County, Minnesota. The area is home to 6,098 residents, producing a population density of 13 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 56081 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56081 sits at $67,337 (18% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $35,956. The poverty rate stands at 16.0% and the unemployment rate at 6.5%. On housing, the median home value is $163,800 (36% below the state average) with median rent at $844 per month, and 72.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56081 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 16.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.3, and the average commute is 21 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Watonwan County, so you can benchmark 56081 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 56081
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56081.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
22 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
21 establishments
- Construction
Construction
19 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
15 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
12 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 56081, Saint James, 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
6,098
Population
455.1
Area (sq mi)
13
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 56081?
41.3
Median Age
50.8%
Male
49.2%
Female
15.9%
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?
$67,337
Median Household Income
-18% vs state
$35,956
Per Capita Income
16.0%
Poverty Rate
6.5%
Unemployment Rate
21.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56081 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$67,337 42nd percentile higher than 42% 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?
2,790
Total Housing Units
2,373
Occupied Units
417
Vacant Units
2.57
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$163,800
Median Home Value
-36% vs state
$844
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
-5.0%
YoY Change (2024)
202
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+102%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 56081 have decreased 5.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +102% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.1% | 142 |
| 2021 | +6.6% | 152 |
| 2022 | +15.8% | 176 |
| 2023 | +20.7% | 212 |
| 2024 | -5.0% | 202 |
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 141 business establishments in ZIP 56081, employing approximately 1,908 people with a combined annual payroll of $93,440,000.
141
Businesses
1,908
Employees
$93.4M
Annual Payroll
12
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 22 | 15.6% |
| Retail trade | 21 | 14.9% |
| Construction | 19 | 13.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 15 | 10.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 12 | 8.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 9 | 6.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 8 | 5.7% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 8 | 5.7% |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 3.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 3.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 5 | 3.5% |
| Information | 4 | 2.8% |
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 56081 vs 56056 →
ZIP 56081 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 56081
Saint James (56081)
6,098 residents
- 56162 285
Ormsby (56162)
285 residents
- 56056 96
La Salle (56056)
96 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 56081 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 56081 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 56056
La Salle (56056)
$105,000 median income
- 56162
Ormsby (56162)
$88,625 median income
- 56081
Saint James (56081)
$67,337 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 56081 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Watonwan County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 56081 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 56081? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 56081? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 56081? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56081? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56081? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56081? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 56081? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 56081? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 56081? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 56081? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56081? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Saint James, 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.