55981 ZIP Code — Wabasha, MN

Wabasha County, Minnesota

ZIP code 55981 is located in Wabasha, Minnesota, within Wabasha County. It covers approximately 50.95 square miles and serves a population of 3,869 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 651.

About ZIP code 55981

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 $221,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $67,472. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average. 45% 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 24 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 25% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 55981 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,869

population

50.95

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

55981 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 55981

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 55981. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wabasha	Acceptable
Wabasha	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

55945 Kellogg (5.7 mi) 54756 Nelson (8.5 mi) 54610 Alma (13.5 mi) 54769 Stockholm (13.8 mi) 55910 Altura (14.3 mi) 55957 Millville (14.7 mi) 55041 Lake City (14.8 mi) 55964 Plainview (15.6 mi) 54622 Cochrane (16.4 mi) 54721 Arkansaw (17.8 mi) 55026 Frontenac (18.2 mi) 54736 Durand (18.3 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	3,869
Population density	76 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	157

Geography
Land area	50.95 sq mi
Water area	6.39 sq mi
Latitude	44.3561
Longitude	-92.0461
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	651

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.1%	35.1%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	40.5%	35.1%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	16.0%	24.1%	26.5%
Over $200k	5.4%	5.6%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

3,869

Population

People per sq mi

53.9

Median age

$67,472

Median household income

$43,603

Per capita income

$221,600

Median home value

$791

Median monthly rent

79.6%

Home ownership

6.3%

Poverty rate

2.5%

Unemployment

1,826

Housing units

24.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

100

20–24

129

25–34

131

172

35–44

174

315

45–54

320

147

55–59

150

167

60–64

169

315

65–74

321

245

75–84

249

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	558	14.4%
18 and over	3,311	85.6%
65 and over	1,239	32.0%
Median age	53.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.4%

Two or more races 1.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

Asian 0.3%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,702	95.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	92	2.4%
Two or more races	44	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	18	0.5%
Hispanic or Latino	14	0.4%
Asian	10	0.3%
Other race	3	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.1%	35.1%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	40.5%	35.1%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	16.0%	24.1%	26.5%
Over $200k	5.4%	5.6%	8.5%

Under $10k 2.3%

$10k–$15k 3.1%

$15k–$25k 4.6%

$25k–$35k 8.5%

$35k–$50k 10.9%

$50k–$75k 23.1%

$75k–$100k 16.7%

$100k–$150k 20.2%

$150k–$200k 4.6%

$200k+ 6.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.3%
$10k–$15k	3.1%
$15k–$25k	4.6%
$25k–$35k	8.5%
$35k–$50k	10.9%
$50k–$75k	23.1%
$75k–$100k	16.7%
$100k–$150k	20.2%
$150k–$200k	4.6%
$200k+	6.1%
Median income	$67,472

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.0%

$50k–$100k 5.8%

$100k–$150k 17.8%

$150k–$200k 13.7%

$200k–$300k 30.6%

$300k–$500k 20.4%

$500k–$1M 6.9%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$221,600
Median rent / month	$791
Owner occupied	79.6%
Renter occupied	20.4%
Vacant	17.4%
Single-family detached	76.1%
Large apartment buildings	7.1%
Mobile homes	3.0%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.22

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.5%
2010–2019	8.3%
2000–2009	11.4%
1990–1999	13.8%
1980–1989	10.5%
1970–1979	12.4%
1960–1969	10.6%
1950–1959	7.5%
1940–1949	3.3%
1939 or earlier	20.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	9.1%
2 bedrooms	29.1%
3 bedrooms	38.3%
4 bedrooms	19.3%
5+ bedrooms	1.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.3%
1 vehicle	29.2%
2 vehicles	34.9%
3 or more	26.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	42.3%
Electricity	21.0%
Propane / LP gas	31.3%
Fuel oil	0.4%
Wood	2.3%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,004	55.3%
Cohabiting couple	76	4.2%
Male householder, no spouse	335	18.5%
Female householder, no spouse	400	22.0%
Households with children under 18	386	21.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	792	43.6%
Average household size	2.04

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	17.3%	17.5%
Married	62.5%	57.5%
Separated	5.4%	0.3%
Widowed	5.4%	12.1%
Divorced	9.4%	12.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.9%

Some HS, no diploma 2.9%

HS graduate 33.6%

Some college, no degree 24.6%

Associate's degree 12.3%

Bachelor's degree 15.4%

Graduate / professional 9.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.2%
Bachelor's or higher	24.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	23	3.5%
Kindergarten	31	4.7%
Elementary school	271	40.9%
High school	186	28.1%
College / grad school	152	22.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 29.5%

Manufacturing 20.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.6%

Retail trade 8.7%

Construction 6.8%

Professional & management 4.7%

Finance & real estate 4.6%

Transportation & utilities 4.1%

Other services 3.5%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Public administration 2.5%

Agriculture & mining 2.1%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.3%
Service	17.4%
Sales & office	24.4%
Natural resources & construction	8.1%
Production & transportation	9.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.0%
Government	8.7%
Self-employed	6.9%
Unpaid family workers	1.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.2%
Carpool	9.7%
Public transit	1.6%
Walk	3.7%
Work from home	5.9%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.8

Poverty

All people 6.3%

Under 18 years 5.1%

18 and over 6.4%

Married-couple families 2.5%

Female-led households 18.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.3%
Retirement income	35.0%
Supplemental Security	4.0%
Cash public assistance	0.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.7%
High blood pressure	35.2%
High cholesterol	34.8%
Diabetes	10.9%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	8.8%
Arthritis	28.5%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	6.6%
Cancer	9.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.6%
Binge drinking	17.6%
No physical activity	22.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.0%
Depression	20.8%
Fair or poor health	12.9%
Poor mental health	12.1%
Poor physical health	10.1%
No health insurance	10.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.4%
Visited dentist	70.8%
Cholesterol screening	92.0%
Teeth loss	10.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	255	7.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.4%
Under 18	1.4%
18–64 years	11.5%
65 and over	32.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	81.6%
Public insurance	41.5%
No insurance	3.1%
Uninsured under 19	4.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,774	97.5%
Spanish	6	0.2%
Other Indo-European	6	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,764	97.3%
Born in same state	3,735	96.5%
Born in different state	2,919	75.4%
Foreign born	29	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	105	2.7%
Not a US citizen	10	9.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	692	17.9%
Polish	372	9.6%
French	271	7%
English	169	4.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	140	3.6%
Dutch	20	0.5%
German	15	0.4%
Irish	13	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.9%
Internet access	90.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 55981

What city is ZIP code 55981 in?

ZIP code 55981 is primarily assigned to Wabasha, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 55981 in?

ZIP code 55981 falls within Wabasha County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 55981 have an older population?

32% of residents in ZIP code 55981 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 55981 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 55981 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 55981?

ZIP code 55981 has an estimated population of 3,869 residents, with a density of 76 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 55981?

The median home value in ZIP code 55981 is $221,600.

What timezone is ZIP code 55981 in?

ZIP code 55981 observes the CST timezone.