Verndale, MN · standard
ZIP Code 56481
Wadena County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,031
- 5/sq mi
- $73,295
- Median income
- $167,700
- Median home value
- 17.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Verndale pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 48%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 33th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 5
- people per sq mi
- 90%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56481 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 56481 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 383.2 square miles in Verndale, Wadena County, Minnesota. The area is home to 2,031 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 56481 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56481 sits at $73,295 (11% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $34,528. The poverty rate stands at 6.7% and the unemployment rate at 4.5%. On housing, the median home value is $167,700 (34% below the state average) with median rent at $675 per month, and 89.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56481 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 17.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 34, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 3 additional ZIPs sharing Wadena County, so you can benchmark 56481 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 56481
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56481.
- Construction
Construction
9 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
8 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
5 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
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 56481, Verndale, 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
2,031
Population
383.2
Area (sq mi)
5
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 56481?
34.0
Median Age
50.8%
Male
49.2%
Female
0.7%
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?
$73,295
Median Household Income
-11% vs state
$34,528
Per Capita Income
6.7%
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Unemployment Rate
27.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56481 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$73,295 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?
1,015
Total Housing Units
875
Occupied Units
140
Vacant Units
2.58
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$167,700
Median Home Value
-34% vs state
$675
Median Rent
1976
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 34 business establishments in ZIP 56481, employing approximately 142 people with a combined annual payroll of $6,131,000.
34
Businesses
142
Employees
$6.1M
Annual Payroll
4
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 9 | 26.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 8 | 23.5% |
| Retail trade | 5 | 14.7% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 8.8% |
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 56481 vs 56434 →
ZIP 56481 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 56479
Staples (56479)
5,384 residents
- 56481 2,031
Verndale (56481)
2,031 residents
- 56434 235
Aldrich (56434)
235 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 56481 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 56481 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 56481
Verndale (56481)
$73,295 median income
- 56479
Staples (56479)
$59,920 median income
- 56434
Aldrich (56434)
$48,750 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 56481 ranks the highest of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Wadena County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 56481 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 56481? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 56481? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 56481? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56481? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56481? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56481? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 56481? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 56481? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 56481? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Verndale, 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.