Shelly, MN · standard
ZIP Code 56581
Norman County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 287
- 3/sq mi
- $53,750
- Median income
- $105,900
- Median home value
- 18.3%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Shelly pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 19th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 12th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 3
- people per sq mi
- 86%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56581 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 56581 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 102.5 square miles in Shelly, Norman County, Minnesota. The area is home to 287 residents, producing a population density of 3 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 56581 against Minnesota and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56581 sits at $53,750 (35% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $34,496. The poverty rate stands at 16.2% and the unemployment rate at 10.6%. On housing, the median home value is $105,900 (59% below the state average) with median rent at $810 per month, and 86.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56581 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 18.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.7, and the average commute is 35 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Norman County, so you can benchmark 56581 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 →
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 56581, Shelly, 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
287
Population
102.5
Area (sq mi)
3
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 56581?
41.7
Median Age
53.3%
Male
46.7%
Female
0.0%
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?
$53,750
Median Household Income
-35% vs state
$34,496
Per Capita Income
16.2%
Poverty Rate
10.6%
Unemployment Rate
35.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56581 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$53,750 19th percentile higher than 19% 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?
184
Total Housing Units
122
Occupied Units
62
Vacant Units
2.26
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$105,900
Median Home Value
-59% vs state
$810
Median Rent
1949
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 3 business establishments in ZIP 56581, employing approximately 4 people with a combined annual payroll of $272,000.
3
Businesses
4
Employees
$272K
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 56581 vs 56568 →
ZIP 56581 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 56548
Halstad (56548)
771 residents
- 56581 287
Shelly (56581)
287 residents
- 56568 142
Nielsville (56568)
142 residents
- 58219 47
Caledonia (58219)
47 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 56581 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 56581 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 58219
Caledonia (58219)
$81,724 median income
- 56548
Halstad (56548)
$64,896 median income
- 56581
Shelly (56581)
$53,750 median income
- 56568
Nielsville (56568)
$40,000 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 56581 ranks #3 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Norman County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 56581 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 56581? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 56581? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 56581? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56581? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56581? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 56581? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 56581? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 56581? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56581? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Shelly, 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.