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 Low-density area
- $78,599
- Median income Near-median income area
- $196,000
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 21.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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
- 42nd 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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 56701 (Thief River Falls, MN) rose +2.5% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 228.5 in 2023 to 234.3 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 56701 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Thief River Falls, Pennington County, Minnesota, home to 12,690 residents across 991.4 square miles, a density of 13 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 56701 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $78,599 (4% below the average Minnesota ZIP), while per-capita income is $42,179. The poverty rate is 10.1%, with unemployment at 2.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $196,000 (23% below the average Minnesota ZIP), and median rent is $856; owner occupancy is 71.1%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 21.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.4, and the average commute is 12 minutes. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 2 more in Pennington County, so 56701 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 56701
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Thief River Falls, MN
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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 ZIP avg
$42,179
Per Capita Income
10.1%
Poverty Rate
2.7%
Unemployment Rate
11.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 56701 ranks among Minnesota ZIPs
Thief River Falls, MN household income vs. every Minnesota ZIP code
Median household income among 864 reporting Minnesota ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$78,599 Top 48% higher than 52% of 864 Minnesota ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Minnesota 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
6,261housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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 |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 56701, both outside MN so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (12,690 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Pennington County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 56701's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 56701 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Thief River Falls, MN ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.