Nelson, MN · standard

ZIP Code 56355

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

579
9/sq mi
$97,500
Median income
$320,200
Median home value
21.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Nelson pairs an upper-quartile household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 21%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 31%
home value, US ZIPs
9
people per sq mi
77%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56355 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 56355 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 67.3 square miles in Nelson, Douglas County, Minnesota. The area is home to 579 residents, producing a population density of 9 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 56355 against Minnesota and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56355 sits at $97,500 (19% above the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $39,657. The poverty rate stands at 6.1% and the unemployment rate at 0.9%. On housing, the median home value is $320,200 (25% above the state average) with median rent at $782 per month, and 77.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56355 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 21.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.1, and the average commute is 20 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Douglas County, so you can benchmark 56355 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 →

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 56355, Nelson, 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

579

Population

67.3

Area (sq mi)

9

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 56355?

37.1

Median Age

53.5%

Male

46.5%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 98.4%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%

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?

$97,500

Median Household Income

+19% vs state

$39,657

Per Capita Income

6.1%

Poverty Rate

0.9%

Unemployment Rate

20.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 56355 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$97,500 Top 21% higher than 79% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 54.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.6%

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

What does housing look like?

283

Total Housing Units

282

Occupied Units

1

Vacant Units

2.61

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.0%
Renter 23.0%

$320,200

Median Home Value

+25% vs state

$782

Median Rent

1982

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 56355, employing approximately 95 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,856,000.

16

Businesses

95

Employees

$2.9M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Manufacturing 5 31.3%
Construction 4 25.0%

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 56355 vs 56319 →

ZIP 56355 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 56355 ranks #4 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 56355 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 56355 ranks the highest of 5 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
56319 Carlos, MN 1,321 4.3 mi
56354 Miltona, MN 1,367 8.6 mi
56360 Osakis, MN 3,917 6.9 mi
56389 West Union, MN 111 12.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Douglas County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 56355 in?
ZIP code 56355 (Nelson) is located in Douglas County, Minnesota. Douglas County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/douglas-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 56355?
ZIP code 56355 in Nelson, MN has a population of 579 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56355?
The median household income in ZIP 56355 is $97,500, which is 28% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56355?
The median home value in ZIP 56355 is $320,200, which is 15% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56355?
The largest racial group in ZIP 56355 is White at 98.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56355?
ZIP code 56355 has 16 business establishments employing approximately 95 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 56355?
In ZIP code 56355, 54.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.6% 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 56355?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56355 is 20.0 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 56355?
In ZIP code 56355, approximately 77.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56355?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56355 is 6.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Nelson, MN

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.