PlainZIP

Bigelow, MN · standard

ZIP Code 56117

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

399
6/sq mi
$63,438
Median income
$133,000
Median home value
13.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Bigelow pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

36th pct
household income, US ZIPs
21th pct
home value, US ZIPs
6
people per sq mi
67%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56117 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 56117 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Bigelow, Nobles County, Minnesota, home to just 399 residents across 66.5 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 56117 reports a modest median household income of $63,438 (23% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $36,793. 8.6% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 5.8%. Housing costs here run $133,000 for a typical home value (48% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,375 a month; 67.1% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 13.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.6, and the average commute is 20 minutes. To put 56117 in local context, 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Nobles County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 →

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 56117, Bigelow, 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

399

Population

66.5

Area (sq mi)

6

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 56117?

40.6

Median Age

57.0%

Male

43.0%

Female

30.8%

Foreign-Born

White 56.3%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 32.0%
Hispanic or Latino 47.8%

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?

$63,438

Median Household Income

-23% vs state

$36,793

Per Capita Income

8.6%

Poverty Rate

5.8%

Unemployment Rate

20.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 56117 ranks nationally

Bigelow, MN household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$63,438 36th percentile higher than 36% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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 47.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 13.8%

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

What does housing look like?

188

Total Housing Units

155

Occupied Units

33

Vacant Units

2.58

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 67.1%
Renter 32.9%

$133,000

Median Home Value

-48% vs state

$1,375

Median Rent

1938

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 7 business establishments in ZIP 56117, employing approximately 22 people with a combined annual payroll of $961,000.

7

Businesses

22

Employees

$961K

Annual Payroll

1

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 3 42.9%

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 56117 vs 51249 →

ZIP 56117 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 56117 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 56117 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 56117 ranks #4 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
51249 Sibley, IA 3,593 8.4 mi
56187 Worthington, MN 14,170 8.3 mi
56168 Rushmore, MN 932 8.6 mi
51354 Ocheyedan, IA 1,096 10.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Nobles County

56187 standard
Worthington, MN
Pop: 14,170
56110 standard
Adrian, MN
Pop: 1,843
56119 standard
Brewster, MN
Pop: 1,017
56168 standard
Rushmore, MN
Pop: 932
56129 standard
Ellsworth, MN
Pop: 741
56167 standard
Round Lake, MN
Pop: 661

Related Areas

Nobles County Bigelow, MN Minnesota

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 56117 in? ▼
ZIP code 56117 (Bigelow) is located in Nobles County, Minnesota. Nobles County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/nobles-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 56117? ▼
ZIP code 56117 in Bigelow, MN has a population of 399 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56117? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 56117 is $63,438, which is 17% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56117? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 56117 is $133,000, which is 52% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56117? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 56117 is White at 56.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 47.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56117? ▼
ZIP code 56117 has 7 business establishments employing approximately 22 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 56117? ▼
In ZIP code 56117, 47.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 13.8% 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 56117? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56117 is 20.2 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 56117? ▼
In ZIP code 56117, approximately 67.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 32.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56117? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56117 is 8.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.