Thief River Falls, MN · standard

ZIP Code 56701

Pennington County, Minnesota — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

12,690
13/sq mi
$78,599
Median income
$196,000
Median home value
21.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Thief River Falls pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 40%
household income, US ZIPs
42th pct
home value, US ZIPs
13
people per sq mi
71%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 56701 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 56701 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 991.4 square miles in Thief River Falls, Pennington County, Minnesota. The area is home to 12,690 residents, producing a population density of 13 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 56701 against Minnesota and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 56701 sits at $78,599 (4% below the Minnesota average), while per-capita income is $42,179. The poverty rate stands at 10.1% and the unemployment rate at 2.7%. On housing, the median home value is $196,000 (23% below the state average) with median rent at $856 per month, and 71.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 56701 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 21.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.4, and the average commute is 12 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 2 additional ZIPs sharing Pennington County, so you can benchmark 56701 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 56701

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 56701.

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 56701, Thief River Falls, 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

12,690

Population

991.4

Area (sq mi)

13

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 56701?

39.4

Median Age

49.8%

Male

50.2%

Female

3.7%

Foreign-Born

White 88.4%
African American 0.8%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%

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?

$78,599

Median Household Income

-4% vs state

$42,179

Per Capita Income

10.1%

Poverty Rate

2.7%

Unemployment Rate

11.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 56701 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$78,599 Top 40% higher than 60% 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 52.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.5%

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

What does housing look like?

6,261

Total Housing Units

5,771

Occupied Units

490

Vacant Units

2.15

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 71.1%
Renter 28.9%

$196,000

Median Home Value

-23% vs state

$856

Median Rent

1974

Median Year Built

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

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+2.5%

YoY Change (2024)

234

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+134%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 56701 have increased 2.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +134% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.2% 199
2021 +5.5% 210
2022 +11.2% 233
2023 -1.9% 229
2024 +2.5% 234

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 346 business establishments in ZIP 56701, employing approximately 8,832 people with a combined annual payroll of $533,918,000.

346

Businesses

8,832

Employees

$533.9M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 62 17.9%
Health care and social assistance 45 13.0%
Other services (except public administration) 43 12.4%
Accommodation and food services 31 9.0%
Construction 29 8.4%
Finance and insurance 25 7.2%
Transportation and warehousing 22 6.4%
Wholesale trade 18 5.2%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 18 5.2%
Manufacturing 14 4.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 12 3.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 10 2.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 8 2.3%
Information 6 1.7%

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 56701 vs 56754 →

ZIP Code City Population Distance
56754 Saint Hilaire, MN 546 8.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Pennington County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 56701 in?
ZIP code 56701 (Thief River Falls) is located in Pennington County, Minnesota. Pennington County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/pennington-mn.
What is the population of ZIP code 56701?
ZIP code 56701 in Thief River Falls, MN has a population of 12,690 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 56701?
The median household income in ZIP 56701 is $78,599, which is 3% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 56701?
The median home value in ZIP 56701 is $196,000, which is 30% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 56701?
The largest racial group in ZIP 56701 is White at 88.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 56701?
ZIP code 56701 has 346 business establishments employing approximately 8,832 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 56701?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 56701 are: Retail trade (62), Health care and social assistance (45), Other services (except public administration) (43). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 56701?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 56701 increased by 2.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 134%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 56701?
In ZIP code 56701, 52.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.5% 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 56701?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 56701 is 11.9 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 56701?
In ZIP code 56701, approximately 71.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 28.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56701?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 56701 is 10.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

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Official Data Resources for Thief River Falls, MN

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.