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 Low-density area
- $97,500
- Median income Above-median income area
- $320,200
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 21.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Nelson, Douglas County, Minnesota, home to just 579 residents across 67.3 square miles, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 56355 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $97,500 (19% above the average Minnesota ZIP), while per-capita income is $39,657. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 6.1% and unemployment is 0.9%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $320,200 (25% above the average Minnesota ZIP), while 77.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $782.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 21.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.1, and the average commute is 20 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Douglas County, so 56355 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 →
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 56355, Nelson, 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
579
Population
67.3
Area (sq mi)
9
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 56355?
37.1
Median Age
53.5%
Male
46.5%
Female
0.0%
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?
$97,500
Median Household Income
+19% vs state ZIP avg
$39,657
Per Capita Income
6.1%
Poverty Rate
0.9%
Unemployment Rate
20.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56355 ranks among Minnesota ZIPs
Nelson, 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)
$97,500 Top 20% higher than 80% 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
283housing units
283
Total Housing Units
282
Occupied Units
1
Vacant Units
2.61
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$320,200
Median Home Value
+25% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 56360
Osakis (56360)
3,917 residents
- 56354 1,367
Miltona (56354)
1,367 residents
- 56319 1,321
Carlos (56319)
1,321 residents
- 56355 579
Nelson (56355)
579 residents
- 56389 111
West Union (56389)
111 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 56355 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 56355 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 56355
Nelson (56355)
$97,500 median income
- 56319
Carlos (56319)
$89,712 median income
- 56354
Miltona (56354)
$88,693 median income
- 56360
Osakis (56360)
$69,013 median income
- 56389
West Union (56389)
$68,333 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 56355, 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 Douglas County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 56355's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 56355 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Nelson, 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.