Brainerd, MN · standard
ZIP Code 56401
Crow Wing County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 29,439
- 35/sq mi
- $73,128
- Median income
- $261,600
- Median home value
- 25.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Brainerd pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 48%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 40%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 35
- people per sq mi
- 74%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56401 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 56401 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 841.1 square miles in Brainerd, Crow Wing County, Minnesota. The area is home to 29,439 residents, producing a population density of 35 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 56401 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56401 sits at $73,128 (11% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $37,969. The poverty rate stands at 10.1% and the unemployment rate at 6.4%. On housing, the median home value is $261,600 (2% above the state average) with median rent at $883 per month, and 73.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56401 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 25.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.4, and the average commute is 22 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Crow Wing County, so you can benchmark 56401 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 56401
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56401.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
129 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
115 establishments
- Construction
Construction
114 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
100 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
77 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 56401, Brainerd, 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
29,439
Population
841.1
Area (sq mi)
35
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 56401?
40.4
Median Age
49.3%
Male
50.7%
Female
1.3%
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?
$73,128
Median Household Income
-11% vs state
$37,969
Per Capita Income
10.1%
Poverty Rate
6.4%
Unemployment Rate
22.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56401 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$73,128 Top 48% higher than 52% 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?
16,167
Total Housing Units
13,074
Occupied Units
3,093
Vacant Units
2.38
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$261,600
Median Home Value
+2% vs state
$883
Median Rent
1984
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
+3.1%
YoY Change (2024)
228
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+128%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 56401 have increased 3.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +128% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.6% | 158 |
| 2021 | +12.8% | 178 |
| 2022 | +14.6% | 204 |
| 2023 | +8.7% | 221 |
| 2024 | +3.1% | 228 |
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 891 business establishments in ZIP 56401, employing approximately 11,787 people with a combined annual payroll of $588,078,000.
891
Businesses
11,787
Employees
$588.1M
Annual Payroll
18
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 129 | 14.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 115 | 12.9% |
| Construction | 114 | 12.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 100 | 11.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 77 | 8.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 50 | 5.6% |
| Manufacturing | 49 | 5.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 45 | 5.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 43 | 4.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 43 | 4.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 37 | 4.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 26 | 2.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 23 | 2.6% |
| Information | 17 | 1.9% |
| Educational services | 10 | 1.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 5 | 0.6% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 5 | 0.6% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.3% |
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 56401 vs 56455 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56455 | Ironton, MN | 1,488 | 10.3 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Crow Wing County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Brainerd, 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.