PlainZIP

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 covers 415.4 square miles in Elbow Lake, Grant County, Minnesota (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,994 residents on file, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 56531 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $74,583 (9% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $44,546. Local economic indicators show a 14.3% poverty rate alongside 3.5% unemployment. Median home value sits at $154,100 (40% below the state average), median rent at $773 a month, and owner-occupancy at 75.2%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 22.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.7, and the average commute is 23 minutes. To put 56531 in local context, 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Grant 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 56531

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Elbow Lake, MN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56531.

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 56531, Elbow Lake, 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

1,994

Population

415.4

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 56531?

41.7

Median Age

48.8%

Male

51.2%

Female

0.3%

Foreign-Born

White 93.7%
African American 0.1%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

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

Elbow Lake, MN 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

$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 51.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.0%

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

Owner 75.2%
Renter 24.8%

$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

56309 standard
Ashby, MN
Pop: 1,185
56339 standard
Hoffman, MN
Pop: 1,129
56248 standard
Herman, MN
Pop: 807
56311 standard
Barrett, MN
Pop: 757
56590 standard
Wendell, MN
Pop: 373
56274 standard
Norcross, MN
Pop: 177

Related Areas

Grant County Elbow Lake, MN Minnesota

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 56531 in? ▼
ZIP code 56531 (Elbow Lake) is located in Grant County, Minnesota. Grant County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/grant-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 56531? ▼
ZIP code 56531 in Elbow Lake, MN has a population of 1,994 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56531? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 56531 is $74,583, which is 2% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56531? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 56531 is $154,100, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56531? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 56531 is White at 93.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56531? ▼
ZIP code 56531 has 72 business establishments employing approximately 661 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56531? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 56531 are: Finance and insurance (11), Other services (except public administration) (11), Retail trade (10). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 56531? ▼
In ZIP code 56531, 51.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.0% 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 56531? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56531 is 22.8 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 56531? ▼
In ZIP code 56531, approximately 75.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 24.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56531? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56531 is 14.3% 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.