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.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
62 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
45 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
43 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
31 establishments
- Construction
Construction
29 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 56701?
39.4
Median Age
49.8%
Male
50.2%
Female
3.7%
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?
$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
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?
6,261
Total Housing Units
5,771
Occupied Units
490
Vacant Units
2.15
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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)
How have home values changed over time?
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
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Frequently Asked Questions
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Thief River Falls, 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.