Mountain Lake, MN · standard

ZIP Code 56159

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

2,928
9/sq mi
$71,648
Median income
$161,800
Median home value
23.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

49th pct
household income, US ZIPs
30th pct
home value, US ZIPs
9
people per sq mi
76%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56159 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 56159 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 311.5 square miles in Mountain Lake, Cottonwood County, Minnesota. The area is home to 2,928 residents, producing a population density of 9 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 56159 against Minnesota and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56159 sits at $71,648 (13% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $33,260. The poverty rate stands at 14.9% and the unemployment rate at 3.1%. On housing, the median home value is $161,800 (37% below the state average) with median rent at $921 per month, and 76.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56159 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 23.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.8, and the average commute is 14 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 additional ZIPs sharing Cottonwood County, so you can benchmark 56159 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 56159

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56159.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 56159, Mountain Lake, 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

2,928

Population

311.5

Area (sq mi)

9

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 56159?

37.8

Median Age

51.7%

Male

48.3%

Female

8.8%

Foreign-Born

White 74.4%
African American 0.0%
Asian 7.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 8.5%
Hispanic or Latino 15.5%

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?

$71,648

Median Household Income

-13% vs state

$33,260

Per Capita Income

14.9%

Poverty Rate

3.1%

Unemployment Rate

13.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 56159 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$71,648 49th percentile higher than 49% 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 54.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.0%

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

What does housing look like?

1,062

Total Housing Units

987

Occupied Units

75

Vacant Units

2.59

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 76.4%
Renter 23.6%

$161,800

Median Home Value

-37% vs state

$921

Median Rent

1962

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 52 business establishments in ZIP 56159, employing approximately 673 people with a combined annual payroll of $30,464,000.

52

Businesses

673

Employees

$30.5M

Annual Payroll

9

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 11 21.1%
Retail trade 9 17.3%
Wholesale trade 5 9.6%
Construction 4 7.7%
Manufacturing 4 7.7%
Finance and insurance 4 7.7%
Health care and social assistance 4 7.7%
Accommodation and food services 4 7.7%
Information 3 5.8%

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 56159 vs 56118 →

ZIP 56159 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 56159 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 56159 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 56159 ranks #3 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
56118 Bingham Lake, MN 421 5.0 mi
56120 Butterfield, MN 1,121 7.1 mi
56022 Darfur, MN 70 9.0 mi
56160 Odin, MN 214 9.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Cottonwood County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 56159 in?
ZIP code 56159 (Mountain Lake) is located in Cottonwood County, Minnesota. Cottonwood County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/cottonwood-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 56159?
ZIP code 56159 in Mountain Lake, MN has a population of 2,928 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56159?
The median household income in ZIP 56159 is $71,648, which is 6% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56159?
The median home value in ZIP 56159 is $161,800, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56159?
The largest racial group in ZIP 56159 is White at 74.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 15.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56159?
ZIP code 56159 has 52 business establishments employing approximately 673 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56159?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 56159 are: Other services (except public administration) (11), Retail trade (9), Wholesale trade (5). There are 9 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 56159?
In ZIP code 56159, 54.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.0% 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 56159?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56159 is 13.9 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 56159?
In ZIP code 56159, approximately 76.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56159?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56159 is 14.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Mountain Lake, MN

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.