PlainZIP

Cosmos, MN · standard

ZIP Code 56228

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

882
6/sq mi
$69,844
Median income
$152,300
Median home value
11.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

46th pct
household income, US ZIPs
26th pct
home value, US ZIPs
6
people per sq mi
87%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56228 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 56228 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Cosmos, Meeker County, Minnesota, home to just 882 residents across 152.1 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 56228 reports a modest median household income of $69,844 (15% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $42,347. Local economic indicators show a 11.1% poverty rate alongside 2.4% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $152,300 (40% below the state average); renters pay a median of $697 monthly, and 87.1% of units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.4, and the average commute is 28 minutes. Minnesota and national benchmarks, shown above, are the best way to contextualize 56228, not the raw numbers alone.

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 56228, Cosmos, 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

882

Population

152.1

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 56228?

47.4

Median Age

53.0%

Male

47.0%

Female

3.5%

Foreign-Born

White 92.2%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%

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?

$69,844

Median Household Income

-15% vs state

$42,347

Per Capita Income

11.1%

Poverty Rate

2.4%

Unemployment Rate

27.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 56228 ranks nationally

Cosmos, MN household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$69,844 46th percentile higher than 46% 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 58.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.5%

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

What does housing look like?

434

Total Housing Units

419

Occupied Units

15

Vacant Units

2.20

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 87.1%
Renter 12.9%

$152,300

Median Home Value

-40% vs state

$697

Median Rent

1958

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 18 business establishments in ZIP 56228, employing approximately 129 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,411,000.

18

Businesses

129

Employees

$5.4M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 3 16.7%
Other services (except public administration) 3 16.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

More ZIP Codes in Meeker County

55355 standard
Litchfield, MN
Pop: 9,656
55325 standard
Dassel, MN
Pop: 4,610
55382 standard
South Haven, MN
Pop: 3,563
55389 standard
Watkins, MN
Pop: 2,643
56243 standard
Grove City, MN
Pop: 1,725
55324 standard
Darwin, MN
Pop: 1,234

Related Areas

Meeker County Cosmos, MN Minnesota

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 56228 in? ▼
ZIP code 56228 (Cosmos) is located in Meeker County, Minnesota. Meeker County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/meeker-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 56228? ▼
ZIP code 56228 in Cosmos, MN has a population of 882 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56228? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 56228 is $69,844, which is 8% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56228? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 56228 is $152,300, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56228? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 56228 is White at 92.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56228? ▼
ZIP code 56228 has 18 business establishments employing approximately 129 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 56228? ▼
In ZIP code 56228, 58.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.5% 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 56228? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56228 is 27.9 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 56228? ▼
In ZIP code 56228, approximately 87.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56228? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56228 is 11.1% 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.