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
- $82,250
- Median income
- $142,200
- Median home value
- 16.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
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
- 23th 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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 170.0 square miles in Wood Lake, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota. The area is home to 867 residents, producing a population density of 5 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 56297 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56297 sits at $82,250 (0% above the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $40,404. The poverty rate stands at 6.0% and the unemployment rate at 1.7%. On housing, the median home value is $142,200 (44% below the state average) with median rent at $660 per month, and 88.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56297 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 16.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.9, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Yellow Medicine County, so you can benchmark 56297 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 56297
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, 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; HUD FMR + 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
$40,404
Per Capita Income
6.0%
Poverty Rate
1.7%
Unemployment Rate
23.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56297 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$82,250 Top 35% higher than 65% of 30,318 US ZIPs
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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
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
$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.
More ZIP Codes in Yellow Medicine County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 56297 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 56297? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 56297? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 56297? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56297? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56297? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56297? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 56297? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 56297? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 56297? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Wood Lake, MN
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.