PlainZIP

Ruthton, MN · standard

ZIP Code 56170

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

587
3/sq mi
$58,750
Median income
$100,000
Median home value
11.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

27th pct
household income, US ZIPs
10th pct
home value, US ZIPs
3
people per sq mi
85%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56170 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 56170 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Ruthton, Pipestone County, Minnesota, home to just 587 residents across 177.9 square miles, a density of 3 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 56170 reports a modest median household income of $58,750 (28% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $38,920. 15.3% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 6.8%. Median home value sits at $100,000 (61% below the state average), median rent at $792 a month, and owner-occupancy at 84.6%.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 51.2, and the average commute is 23 minutes. To put 56170 in local context, 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Pipestone 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 56170

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Ruthton, MN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56170.

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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 56170, Ruthton, 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

587

Population

177.9

Area (sq mi)

3

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 56170?

51.2

Median Age

56.2%

Male

43.8%

Female

1.1%

Foreign-Born

White 88.6%
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 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%

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?

$58,750

Median Household Income

-28% vs state

$38,920

Per Capita Income

15.3%

Poverty Rate

6.8%

Unemployment Rate

22.8 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 56170 ranks nationally

Ruthton, MN household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$58,750 27th percentile higher than 27% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 52.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.4%

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

What does housing look like?

280

Total Housing Units

260

Occupied Units

20

Vacant Units

2.10

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 84.6%
Renter 15.4%

$100,000

Median Home Value

-61% vs state

$792

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 19 business establishments in ZIP 56170, employing approximately 113 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,624,000.

19

Businesses

113

Employees

$5.6M

Annual Payroll

3

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Utilities 3 15.8%
Construction 3 15.8%
Other services (except public administration) 3 15.8%

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 56170 vs 56186 →

ZIP 56170 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 56170 ranks #2 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 56170 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 56170 ranks #4 of 4 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
56186 Woodstock, MN 388 9.5 mi
56139 Holland, MN 430 6.4 mi
56178 Tyler, MN 1,746 8.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Pipestone County

56164 standard
Pipestone, MN
Pop: 5,969
56128 standard
Edgerton, MN
Pop: 1,984
56144 standard
Jasper, MN
Pop: 1,143
56139 standard
Holland, MN
Pop: 430
56186 standard
Woodstock, MN
Pop: 388
56140 standard
Ihlen, MN
Pop: 59

Related Areas

Pipestone County Ruthton, MN Minnesota

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 56170 in? ▼
ZIP code 56170 (Ruthton) is located in Pipestone County, Minnesota. Pipestone County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/pipestone-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 56170? ▼
ZIP code 56170 in Ruthton, MN has a population of 587 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56170? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 56170 is $58,750, which is 23% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56170? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 56170 is $100,000, which is 64% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56170? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 56170 is White at 88.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56170? ▼
ZIP code 56170 has 19 business establishments employing approximately 113 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56170? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 56170 are: Utilities (3), Construction (3), Other services (except public administration) (3). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 56170? ▼
In ZIP code 56170, 52.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.4% 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 56170? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56170 is 22.8 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 56170? ▼
In ZIP code 56170, approximately 84.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56170? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56170 is 15.3% 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.