Elbow Lake, MN · standard
ZIP Code 56531
Grant County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,994
- 5/sq mi
- $74,583
- Median income
- $154,100
- Median home value
- 22.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Elbow Lake pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 46%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 27th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 5
- people per sq mi
- 75%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56531 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 56531 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 415.4 square miles in Elbow Lake, Grant County, Minnesota. The area is home to 1,994 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 56531 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56531 sits at $74,583 (9% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $44,546. The poverty rate stands at 14.3% and the unemployment rate at 3.5%. On housing, the median home value is $154,100 (40% below the state average) with median rent at $773 per month, and 75.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56531 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.7, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Grant County, so you can benchmark 56531 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 56531
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56531.
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
11 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
11 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
10 establishments
- Construction
Construction
8 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
7 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 56531, Elbow Lake, 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
1,994
Population
415.4
Area (sq mi)
5
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 56531?
41.7
Median Age
48.8%
Male
51.2%
Female
0.3%
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?
$74,583
Median Household Income
-9% vs state
$44,546
Per Capita Income
14.3%
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Unemployment Rate
22.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56531 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$74,583 Top 46% higher than 54% 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?
924
Total Housing Units
797
Occupied Units
127
Vacant Units
2.55
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$154,100
Median Home Value
-40% vs state
$773
Median Rent
1962
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 72 business establishments in ZIP 56531, employing approximately 661 people with a combined annual payroll of $32,394,000.
72
Businesses
661
Employees
$32.4M
Annual Payroll
11
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | 11 | 15.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 11 | 15.3% |
| Retail trade | 10 | 13.9% |
| Construction | 8 | 11.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 7 | 9.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 5.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 4.2% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 4.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 4.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 4.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3 | 4.2% |
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 56531 vs 56311 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56311 | Barrett, MN | 757 | 7.6 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Grant County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
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What are the main industries in ZIP code 56531? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Elbow Lake, 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.