Saint Cloud, MN · standard
ZIP Code 56304
Sherburne County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 16,020
- 103/sq mi
- $58,148
- Median income
- $251,500
- Median home value
- 28.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Saint Cloud pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- 26th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 42%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 103
- people per sq mi
- 41%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56304 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 56304 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 155.2 square miles in Saint Cloud, Sherburne County, Minnesota. The area is home to 16,020 residents, producing a population density of 103 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 56304 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56304 sits at $58,148 (29% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $31,477. The poverty rate stands at 16.5% and the unemployment rate at 7.4%. On housing, the median home value is $251,500 (2% below the state average) with median rent at $956 per month, and 41.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56304 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 28.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 32.1, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 additional ZIPs sharing Sherburne County, so you can benchmark 56304 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 56304
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56304.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
50 establishments
- Construction
Construction
43 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
38 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
36 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
21 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 56304, Saint Cloud, 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
16,020
Population
155.2
Area (sq mi)
103
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 56304?
32.1
Median Age
53.3%
Male
46.7%
Female
13.6%
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?
$58,148
Median Household Income
-29% vs state
$31,477
Per Capita Income
16.5%
Poverty Rate
7.4%
Unemployment Rate
23.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56304 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$58,148 26th percentile higher than 26% 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?
7,494
Total Housing Units
7,134
Occupied Units
360
Vacant Units
2.27
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$251,500
Median Home Value
-2% vs state
$956
Median Rent
1980
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+3.8%
YoY Change (2024)
202
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+102%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 56304 have increased 3.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +102% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.3% | 145 |
| 2021 | +9.8% | 159 |
| 2022 | +17.5% | 187 |
| 2023 | +4.1% | 195 |
| 2024 | +3.8% | 202 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 306 business establishments in ZIP 56304, employing approximately 6,692 people with a combined annual payroll of $338,828,000.
306
Businesses
6,692
Employees
$338.8M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 50 | 16.3% |
| Construction | 43 | 14.1% |
| Retail trade | 38 | 12.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 36 | 11.8% |
| Manufacturing | 21 | 6.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 21 | 6.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 20 | 6.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 16 | 5.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 16 | 5.2% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 15 | 4.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 12 | 3.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 8 | 2.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 5 | 1.6% |
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 56304 vs 56379 →
ZIP 56304 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 56379
Sauk Rapids (56379)
16,163 residents
- 56304
Saint Cloud (56304)
16,020 residents
- 55319 5,038
Clear Lake (55319)
5,038 residents
- 55320 4,973
Clearwater (55320)
4,973 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 56304 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 56304 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55320
Clearwater (55320)
$113,973 median income
- 55319
Clear Lake (55319)
$111,607 median income
- 56379
Sauk Rapids (56379)
$76,138 median income
- 56304
Saint Cloud (56304)
$58,148 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 56304 ranks #4 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Sherburne County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 56304 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 56304? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 56304? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 56304? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56304? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56304? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56304? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 56304? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 56304? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 56304? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 56304? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56304? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Saint Cloud, 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.