56501 ZIP Code — Detroit Lakes, MN

Becker County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56501 is located in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, within Becker County. It covers approximately 186.87 square miles and serves a population of 18,085 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 56501

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $275,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 73%.

The gap between median ($68,413) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 40% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 32% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

18,085

population

186.87

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56501 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56501

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56501. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Detroit Lakes	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56521 Callaway (12.2 mi) 56544 Frazee (12.7 mi) 56511 Audubon (13.5 mi) 56587 Vergas (17.1 mi) 56554 Lake Park (17.8 mi) 56570 Osage (18.3 mi) 56575 Ponsford (18.8 mi) 56589 Waubun (19.9 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	18,085
Population density	97 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	005

Geography
Land area	186.87 sq mi
Water area	32.10 sq mi
Latitude	46.8739
Longitude	-95.7303
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	218

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.9%	41.2%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	33.9%	33.0%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	18.9%	19.7%	26.5%
Over $200k	6.3%	6.1%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

18,085

Population

People per sq mi

43.3

Median age

$68,413

Median household income

$42,333

Per capita income

$275,000

Median home value

$913

Median monthly rent

72.5%

Home ownership

9.7%

Poverty rate

3.7%

Unemployment

7,854

Housing units

31.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

506

Under 5

511

615

5–9

620

493

10–14

497

543

15–19

547

540

20–24

544

948

25–34

956

1,053

35–44

1,061

910

45–54

918

605

55–59

609

759

60–64

766

1,167

65–74

1,177

631

75–84

636

236

85+

237

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,983	22.0%
18 and over	14,102	78.0%
65 and over	4,084	22.6%
Median age	43.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.6%

Two or more races 4.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%

Asian 0.9%

Hispanic or Latino 0.7%

Black or African American 0.5%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	16,689	91.6%
Two or more races	814	4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	322	1.8%
Asian	156	0.9%
Hispanic or Latino	132	0.7%
Black or African American	90	0.5%
Other race	14	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.9%	41.2%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	33.9%	33.0%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	18.9%	19.7%	26.5%
Over $200k	6.3%	6.1%	8.5%

Under $10k 5.3%

$10k–$15k 3.7%

$15k–$25k 6.4%

$25k–$35k 9.7%

$35k–$50k 11.6%

$50k–$75k 17.9%

$75k–$100k 16.4%

$100k–$150k 14.6%

$150k–$200k 6.2%

$200k+ 8.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.3%
$10k–$15k	3.7%
$15k–$25k	6.4%
$25k–$35k	9.7%
$35k–$50k	11.6%
$50k–$75k	17.9%
$75k–$100k	16.4%
$100k–$150k	14.6%
$150k–$200k	6.2%
$200k+	8.3%
Median income	$68,413

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.7%

$50k–$100k 5.4%

$100k–$150k 9.5%

$150k–$200k 12.8%

$200k–$300k 23.6%

$300k–$500k 25.4%

$500k–$1M 14.3%

$1M+ 4.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$275,000
Median rent / month	$913
Owner occupied	72.5%
Renter occupied	27.5%
Vacant	24.4%
Single-family detached	76.1%
Large apartment buildings	6.7%
Mobile homes	5.3%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.56

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	10.4%
2000–2009	17.0%
1990–1999	11.2%
1980–1989	7.8%
1970–1979	15.5%
1960–1969	9.8%
1950–1959	8.7%
1940–1949	6.7%
1939 or earlier	12.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.9%
1 bedroom	6.8%
2 bedrooms	28.5%
3 bedrooms	32.0%
4 bedrooms	21.2%
5+ bedrooms	9.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.1%
1 vehicle	30.5%
2 vehicles	35.5%
3 or more	28.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	39.9%
Electricity	31.3%
Propane / LP gas	20.3%
Fuel oil	1.6%
Wood	4.6%
No fuel used	1.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,877	51.7%
Cohabiting couple	505	6.7%
Male householder, no spouse	1,356	18.1%
Female householder, no spouse	1,764	23.5%
Households with children under 18	1,988	26.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,736	36.5%
Average household size	2.36

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.9%	24.7%
Married	53.8%	53.5%
Separated	0.9%	1.1%
Widowed	3.1%	10.2%
Divorced	11.3%	10.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 3.8%

HS graduate 24.5%

Some college, no degree 23.2%

Associate's degree 15.2%

Bachelor's degree 21.2%

Graduate / professional 10.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.5%
Bachelor's or higher	31.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	320	8.3%
Kindergarten	307	8.0%
Elementary school	1,712	44.3%
High school	944	24.4%
College / grad school	578	15.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.4%

Manufacturing 11.9%

Retail trade 11.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.3%

Construction 8.6%

Professional & management 7.0%

Transportation & utilities 5.4%

Other services 4.7%

Public administration 4.7%

Finance & real estate 4.4%

Agriculture & mining 2.5%

Information 1.8%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	38.2%
Service	20.5%
Sales & office	16.7%
Natural resources & construction	9.4%
Production & transportation	15.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.3%
Government	14.6%
Self-employed	8.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.1%
Carpool	8.5%
Public transit	0.9%
Walk	3.1%
Work from home	10.2%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.6

Poverty

All people 9.7%

Under 18 years 13.9%

18 and over 8.6%

Married-couple families 2.2%

Female-led households 19.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.4%
Retirement income	25.8%
Supplemental Security	4.8%
Cash public assistance	3.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.6%
High blood pressure	32.1%
High cholesterol	33.8%
Diabetes	10.1%
Heart disease	7.3%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	26.1%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.5%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.9%
Binge drinking	18.6%
No physical activity	21.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.8%
Depression	21.1%
Fair or poor health	13.6%
Poor mental health	13.0%
Poor physical health	10.3%
No health insurance	10.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.7%
Visited dentist	67.2%
Cholesterol screening	90.1%
Teeth loss	12.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,214	8.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.9%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	12.5%
65 and over	29.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.3%
Public insurance	44.1%
No insurance	5.5%
Uninsured under 19	3.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	17,068	94.4%
Spanish	94	0.6%
Other Indo-European	43	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	30	0.2%
Other languages	16	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	17,816	98.5%
Born in same state	17,702	97.9%
Born in different state	11,950	66.1%
Foreign born	114	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	269	1.5%
Not a US citizen	157	58.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	4,599	25.4%
Italian	1,303	7.2%
French	836	4.6%
Arab	548	3%
English	345	1.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	225	1.2%
Dutch	123	0.7%
Irish	13	0.1%
Norwegian	8	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.5%
Internet access	93.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56501

What city is ZIP code 56501 in?

ZIP code 56501 is primarily assigned to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56501 in?

ZIP code 56501 falls within Becker County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 56501 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 56501 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 56501?

ZIP code 56501 has an estimated population of 18,085 residents, with a density of 97 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56501?

The median home value in ZIP code 56501 is $275,000.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 56501?

The median household income in ZIP code 56501 is $68,413, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 56501 in?

ZIP code 56501 observes the CST timezone.