Sleepy Eye, MN · standard
ZIP Code 56085
Brown County, Minnesota - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 5,451
- 10/sq mi Low-density area
- $73,000
- Median income Near-median income area
- $167,100
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 18.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Sleepy Eye pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 49%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 33rd pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 10
- people per sq mi
- 83%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56085 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 56085 (Sleepy Eye, MN) rose +1.3% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 173.9 in 2023 to 176.3 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 56085 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Sleepy Eye, Brown County, Minnesota, home to 5,451 residents across 545.1 square miles, a density of 10 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 56085 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $73,000 (11% below the average Minnesota ZIP), while per-capita income is $40,676. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 6.0% and unemployment is 2.2%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $167,100 (35% below the average Minnesota ZIP), and median rent is $784; owner occupancy is 82.7%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.4, and the average commute is 15 minutes. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Minnesota and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 56085.
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 56085
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sleepy Eye, MN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56085.
- Construction
Construction
25 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
19 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
19 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
19 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
13 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 56085, Sleepy Eye, 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
5,451
Population
545.1
Area (sq mi)
10
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 56085?
42.4
Median Age
51.5%
Male
48.5%
Female
4.7%
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?
$73,000
Median Household Income
-11% vs state ZIP avg
$40,676
Per Capita Income
6.0%
Poverty Rate
2.2%
Unemployment Rate
15.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56085 ranks among Minnesota ZIPs
Sleepy Eye, 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)
$73,000 39th percentile higher than 39% 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
2,385housing units
2,385
Total Housing Units
2,120
Occupied Units
265
Vacant Units
2.33
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$167,100
Median Home Value
-35% vs state ZIP avg
$784
Median Rent
1959
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
+1.3%
YoY Change (2024)
176
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+76%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 56085 have increased 1.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +76% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.1% | 139 |
| 2021 | +4.3% | 145 |
| 2022 | +16.7% | 170 |
| 2023 | +2.6% | 174 |
| 2024 | +1.3% | 176 |
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 166 business establishments in ZIP 56085, employing approximately 1,947 people with a combined annual payroll of $119,329,000.
166
Businesses
1,947
Employees
$119.3M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 25 | 15.1% |
| Retail trade | 19 | 11.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 19 | 11.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 19 | 11.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 13 | 7.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 13 | 7.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 11 | 6.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 9 | 5.4% |
| Manufacturing | 8 | 4.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 7 | 4.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 6 | 3.6% |
| Information | 5 | 3.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 5 | 3.0% |
| Educational services | 3 | 1.8% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 56085, 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 (5,451 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Brown County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 56085 in?
ZIP code 56085 (Sleepy Eye) 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 56085?
ZIP code 56085 in Sleepy Eye, MN has a population of 5,451 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56085?
The median household income in ZIP 56085 is $73,000, which is 4% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56085?
The median home value in ZIP 56085 is $167,100, which is 40% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56085?
The largest racial group in ZIP 56085 is White at 88.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56085?
ZIP code 56085 has 166 business establishments employing approximately 1,947 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56085?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 56085 are: Construction (25), Retail trade (19), Health care and social assistance (19). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 56085?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 56085 increased by 1.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 76%. 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 56085?
In ZIP code 56085, 56.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.6% 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 56085?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56085 is 15.4 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 56085?
In ZIP code 56085, approximately 82.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56085?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56085 is 6.0% 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 56085's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 56085 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Sleepy Eye, MN ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.