56085 ZIP Code — Sleepy Eye, MN

Brown County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56085 is located in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, within Brown County. It covers approximately 205.94 square miles and serves a population of 5,171 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 507.

About ZIP code 56085

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $145,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 87%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $69,960. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 33% 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 16 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 56085 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

5,171

population

205.94

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56085 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56085

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56085. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sleepy Eye	Acceptable
Sleepy Eye	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56266 Morgan (12.1 mi) 56087 Springfield (13 mi) 56073 New Ulm (14.5 mi) 56041 Hanska (15.1 mi) 55332 Fairfax (15.8 mi) 56019 Comfrey (15.9 mi) 56021 Courtland (19.3 mi) 55335 Gibbon (19.5 mi) 56120 Butterfield (19.9 mi) 56054 Lafayette (20 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	5,171
Population density	25 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	015

Geography
Land area	205.94 sq mi
Water area	1.15 sq mi
Latitude	44.2776
Longitude	-94.7429
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	507

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.7%	40.0%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	36.9%	35.8%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	20.7%	21.9%	26.5%
Over $200k	1.7%	2.2%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

5,171

Population

People per sq mi

46.0

Median age

$69,960

Median household income

$37,729

Per capita income

$145,400

Median home value

$756

Median monthly rent

87.2%

Home ownership

6.6%

Poverty rate

3.1%

Unemployment

2,157

Housing units

18.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

163

Under 5

149

153

5–9

140

164

10–14

150

128

15–19

117

161

20–24

147

303

25–34

275

270

35–44

245

331

45–54

302

215

55–59

195

237

60–64

216

382

65–74

348

105

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,039	20.1%
18 and over	4,132	79.9%
65 and over	1,110	21.5%
Median age	46.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 83.6%

Hispanic or Latino 8.1%

Two or more races 6.7%

Other race 1.6%

Group	Count	%
White	4,702	83.6%
Hispanic or Latino	456	8.1%
Two or more races	378	6.7%
Other race	88	1.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.7%	40.0%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	36.9%	35.8%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	20.7%	21.9%	26.5%
Over $200k	1.7%	2.2%	8.5%

Under $10k 4.4%

$10k–$15k 2.3%

$15k–$25k 7.0%

$25k–$35k 5.4%

$35k–$50k 15.5%

$50k–$75k 19.1%

$75k–$100k 16.0%

$100k–$150k 19.3%

$150k–$200k 6.1%

$200k+ 5.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.4%
$10k–$15k	2.3%
$15k–$25k	7.0%
$25k–$35k	5.4%
$35k–$50k	15.5%
$50k–$75k	19.1%
$75k–$100k	16.0%
$100k–$150k	19.3%
$150k–$200k	6.1%
$200k+	5.0%
Median income	$69,960

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.0%

$50k–$100k 18.3%

$100k–$150k 28.7%

$150k–$200k 17.1%

$200k–$300k 14.7%

$300k–$500k 11.0%

$500k–$1M 2.2%

$1M+ 2.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$145,400
Median rent / month	$756
Owner occupied	87.2%
Renter occupied	12.8%
Vacant	10.8%
Single-family detached	90.3%
Large apartment buildings	3.2%
Mobile homes	0.7%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.39

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	3.8%
2000–2009	6.2%
1990–1999	7.4%
1980–1989	10.2%
1970–1979	9.4%
1960–1969	11.1%
1950–1959	12.6%
1940–1949	11.1%
1939 or earlier	27.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	6.1%
2 bedrooms	20.7%
3 bedrooms	40.5%
4 bedrooms	22.7%
5+ bedrooms	7.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.7%
1 vehicle	20.3%
2 vehicles	43.5%
3 or more	32.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	64.6%
Electricity	7.0%
Propane / LP gas	20.2%
Fuel oil	2.6%
Wood	3.5%
No fuel used	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,232	56.7%
Cohabiting couple	123	5.7%
Male householder, no spouse	466	21.5%
Female householder, no spouse	350	16.1%
Households with children under 18	508	23.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	702	32.3%
Average household size	2.32

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.3%	16.7%
Married	59.1%	60.7%
Separated	0.1%	0.0%
Widowed	1.5%	13.4%
Divorced	9.9%	9.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.9%

Some HS, no diploma 4.0%

HS graduate 37.8%

Some college, no degree 26.1%

Associate's degree 12.1%

Bachelor's degree 15.8%

Graduate / professional 2.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.1%
Bachelor's or higher	18.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	65	6.5%
Kindergarten	35	3.5%
Elementary school	507	51.0%
High school	224	22.5%
College / grad school	164	16.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.2%

Manufacturing 17.8%

Agriculture & mining 15.1%

Wholesale trade 7.9%

Retail trade 6.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.1%

Construction 5.3%

Finance & real estate 4.4%

Professional & management 4.4%

Transportation & utilities 4.1%

Other services 2.7%

Information 1.3%

Public administration 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.0%
Service	17.3%
Sales & office	18.2%
Natural resources & construction	10.5%
Production & transportation	21.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.9%
Government	8.0%
Self-employed	10.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.7%
Carpool	2.4%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	3.2%
Work from home	6.5%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.2

Poverty

All people 6.6%

Under 18 years 7.2%

18 and over 6.4%

Married-couple families 2.0%

Female-led households 20.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.2%
Retirement income	21.2%
Supplemental Security	3.2%
Cash public assistance	1.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.0%
High blood pressure	32.7%
High cholesterol	33.4%
Diabetes	10.4%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	8.8%
Arthritis	25.7%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.5%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.7%
Binge drinking	18.3%
No physical activity	24.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.8%
Depression	20.6%
Fair or poor health	13.6%
Poor mental health	12.8%
Poor physical health	10.4%
No health insurance	12.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.1%
Visited dentist	65.7%
Cholesterol screening	90.4%
Teeth loss	12.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	291	7.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.2%
Under 18	0.4%
18–64 years	6.1%
65 and over	27.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	83.2%
Public insurance	32.2%
No insurance	2.8%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,859	94.0%
Spanish	230	4.7%
Other Indo-European	213	4.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	17	0.3%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,943	95.6%
Born in same state	4,938	95.5%
Born in different state	4,274	82.7%
Foreign born	5	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	228	4.4%
Not a US citizen	35	15.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	543	10.5%
Italian	305	5.9%
French	101	2%
Arab	92	1.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	68	1.3%
English	13	0.3%
German	3	0.1%
Irish	1	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.0%
Internet access	92.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56085

What city is ZIP code 56085 in?

ZIP code 56085 is primarily assigned to Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56085 in?

ZIP code 56085 falls within Brown County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 56085 mostly owner-occupied?

87% of occupied units in ZIP code 56085 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56085?

The median home value in ZIP code 56085 is $145,400.

What is the population of ZIP code 56085?

ZIP code 56085 has an estimated population of 5,171 residents, with a density of 25 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 56085?

The median household income in ZIP code 56085 is $69,960, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 56085 in?

ZIP code 56085 observes the CST timezone.