Wood Lake, MN · standard
ZIP Code 56297
Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 867
- 5/sq mi Low-density area
- $82,250
- Median income Near-median income area
- $142,200
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 16.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Wood Lake pairs an above-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 35%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 23rd pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 5
- people per sq mi
- 89%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56297 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 56297 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Wood Lake, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, home to just 867 residents across 170.0 square miles, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 56297 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $82,250 (0% above the average Minnesota ZIP), while per-capita income is $40,404. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 6.0% and unemployment is 1.7%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $142,200 (44% below the average Minnesota ZIP), and median rent is $660; owner occupancy is 88.5%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.9, and the average commute is 23 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Yellow Medicine County, so 56297 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 56297
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Wood Lake, MN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56297.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
4 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
3 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
3 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 56297, Wood Lake, 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
867
Population
170.0
Area (sq mi)
5
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 56297?
45.9
Median Age
50.4%
Male
49.6%
Female
0.1%
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?
$82,250
Median Household Income
+0% vs state ZIP avg
$40,404
Per Capita Income
6.0%
Poverty Rate
1.7%
Unemployment Rate
23.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56297 ranks among Minnesota ZIPs
Wood Lake, 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)
$82,250 Top 42% higher than 58% 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
364housing units
364
Total Housing Units
339
Occupied Units
25
Vacant Units
2.39
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$142,200
Median Home Value
-44% vs state ZIP avg
$660
Median Rent
1946
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 16 business establishments in ZIP 56297, employing approximately 96 people with a combined annual payroll of $4,100,000.
16
Businesses
96
Employees
$4.1M
Annual Payroll
3
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 25.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 18.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 3 | 18.8% |
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 56297 vs 56237 →
ZIP 56297 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 56297
Wood Lake (56297)
867 residents
- 56292
Vesta (56292)
636 residents
- 56237
Echo (56237)
600 residents
- 56245
Hanley Falls (56245)
535 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 56297 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 56297 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 56237
Echo (56237)
$89,000 median income
- 56245
Hanley Falls (56245)
$84,583 median income
- 56297
Wood Lake (56297)
$82,250 median income
- 56292
Vesta (56292)
$68,523 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 56297 ranks #3 of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 56297, both outside MN so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Yellow Medicine County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 56297 in?
ZIP code 56297 (Wood Lake) is located in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota. Yellow Medicine County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/yellow-medicine-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 56297?
ZIP code 56297 in Wood Lake, MN has a population of 867 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56297?
The median household income in ZIP 56297 is $82,250, which is 8% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56297?
The median home value in ZIP 56297 is $142,200, which is 49% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56297?
The largest racial group in ZIP 56297 is White at 91.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56297?
ZIP code 56297 has 16 business establishments employing approximately 96 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56297?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 56297 are: Other services (except public administration) (4), Transportation and warehousing (3), Finance and insurance (3). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 56297?
In ZIP code 56297, 51.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.1% 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 56297?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56297 is 23.3 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 56297?
In ZIP code 56297, approximately 88.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 11.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56297?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56297 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 56297's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 56297 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Wood Lake, MN ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.