PlainZIP

Bluffton, MN · standard

ZIP Code 56518

Otter Tail County, Minnesota - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

388
8/sq mi
$71,250
Median income
$160,300
Median home value
14.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Bluffton pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

49th pct
household income, US ZIPs
30th pct
home value, US ZIPs
8
people per sq mi
87%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56518 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 56518 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Bluffton, Otter Tail County, Minnesota, home to just 388 residents across 48.5 square miles, a density of 8 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 56518 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $71,250 (13% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $27,415. Local economic indicators show a 8.4% poverty rate alongside 0.4% unemployment. Housing costs here run $160,300 for a typical home value (37% below the state average), with rent averaging $843 a month; 86.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 29.2, and the average commute is 22 minutes. To put 56518 in local context, 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Otter Tail County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 56518, Bluffton, 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

388

Population

48.5

Area (sq mi)

8

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 56518?

29.2

Median Age

54.5%

Male

45.5%

Female

2.2%

Foreign-Born

White 86.4%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 12.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%

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?

$71,250

Median Household Income

-13% vs state

$27,415

Per Capita Income

8.4%

Poverty Rate

0.4%

Unemployment Rate

22.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 56518 ranks nationally

Bluffton, MN household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$71,250 49th percentile higher than 49% 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 49.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 14.2%

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

What does housing look like?

179

Total Housing Units

164

Occupied Units

15

Vacant Units

3.01

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 86.6%
Renter 13.4%

$160,300

Median Home Value

-37% vs state

$843

Median Rent

1979

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 8 business establishments in ZIP 56518, employing approximately 27 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,024,000.

8

Businesses

27

Employees

$1.0M

Annual Payroll

1

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 3 37.5%

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 56518 vs 56482 →

ZIP 56518 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 56518 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 56518 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 56518 ranks #2 of 4 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
56482 Wadena, MN 6,666 5.1 mi
56567 New York Mills, MN 3,169 7.0 mi
56527 Deer Creek, MN 840 8.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Otter Tail County

56537 standard
Fergus Falls, MN
Pop: 18,548
56573 standard
Perham, MN
Pop: 5,993
56572 standard
Pelican Rapids, MN
Pop: 5,454
56567 standard
New York Mills, MN
Pop: 3,169
56515 standard
Battle Lake, MN
Pop: 2,892
56361 standard
Parkers Prairie, MN
Pop: 2,403

Related Areas

Otter Tail County Bluffton, MN Minnesota

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 56518 in? ▼
ZIP code 56518 (Bluffton) is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Otter Tail County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/otter-tail-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 56518? ▼
ZIP code 56518 in Bluffton, MN has a population of 388 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56518? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 56518 is $71,250, which is 7% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56518? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 56518 is $160,300, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56518? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 56518 is White at 86.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 9.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56518? ▼
ZIP code 56518 has 8 business establishments employing approximately 27 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 56518? ▼
In ZIP code 56518, 49.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.2% 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 56518? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56518 is 22.2 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 56518? ▼
In ZIP code 56518, approximately 86.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56518? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56518 is 8.4% 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.