PlainZIP

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 covers 383.2 square miles in Verndale, Wadena County, Minnesota (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,031 residents on file, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 56481 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $73,295 (11% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $34,528. Local economic indicators show a 6.7% poverty rate alongside 4.5% unemployment. 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.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 34, and the average commute is 27 minutes. Beyond these figures, 2 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 3 more sharing Wadena County, letting you compare 56481 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

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 →

Top industries in ZIP 56481

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Verndale, MN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56481.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 56481, Verndale, 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

2,031

Population

383.2

Area (sq mi)

5

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 56481?

34.0

Median Age

50.8%

Male

49.2%

Female

0.7%

Foreign-Born

White 86.1%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 12.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.3%

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

Verndale, MN 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

$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%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $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 52.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.0%

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

Owner 89.8%
Renter 10.2%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 56481 ranks #2 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 56481 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 56481 ranks the highest of 3 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
56434 Aldrich, MN 235 9.3 mi
56479 Staples, MN 5,384 7.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Wadena County

56482 standard
Wadena, MN
Pop: 6,666
56464 standard
Menahga, MN
Pop: 4,336
56477 standard
Sebeka, MN
Pop: 2,758

Related Areas

Wadena County Verndale, MN Minnesota

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 56481 in? ▼
ZIP code 56481 (Verndale) is located in Wadena County, Minnesota. Wadena County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/wadena-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 56481? ▼
ZIP code 56481 in Verndale, MN has a population of 2,031 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56481? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 56481 is $73,295, which is 4% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56481? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 56481 is $167,700, which is 40% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56481? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 56481 is White at 86.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56481? ▼
ZIP code 56481 has 34 business establishments employing approximately 142 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56481? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 56481 are: Construction (9), Other services (except public administration) (8), Retail trade (5). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 56481? ▼
In ZIP code 56481, 52.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.0% 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 56481? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56481 is 27.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 56481? ▼
In ZIP code 56481, approximately 89.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 10.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56481? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56481 is 6.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.