56209 ZIP Code — Atwater, MN

Kandiyohi County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56209 is located in Atwater, Minnesota, within Kandiyohi County. It covers approximately 101.07 square miles and serves a population of 2,565 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 320.

About ZIP code 56209

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 $195,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $80,179. The poverty rate of 5% 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 23 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 56209 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,565

population

101.07

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56209 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56209

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56209. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Atwater	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56243 Grove City (5.3 mi) 56251 Kandiyohi (6.4 mi) 56288 Spicer (10.6 mi) 56201 Willmar (11.5 mi) 56253 Lake Lillian (12.3 mi) 55355 Litchfield (14.5 mi) 56228 Cosmos (14.9 mi) 56273 New London (15 mi) 55329 Eden Valley (15 mi) 56362 Paynesville (17.9 mi) 56216 Blomkest (18.5 mi) 55324 Darwin (18.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,565
Population density	25 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	067

Geography
Land area	101.07 sq mi
Water area	8.20 sq mi
Latitude	45.1419
Longitude	-94.7891
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	320

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	34.1%	39.1%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	42.7%	35.5%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	20.3%	20.6%	26.5%
Over $200k	2.9%	4.8%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

2,565

Population

People per sq mi

36.5

Median age

$80,179

Median household income

$34,536

Per capita income

$195,700

Median home value

$818

Median monthly rent

82.6%

Home ownership

4.6%

Poverty rate

6.6%

Unemployment

1,139

Housing units

23.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

103

Under 5

100

5–9

139

10–14

114

15–19

20–24

185

25–34

152

142

35–44

116

174

45–54

142

55–59

116

60–64

147

65–74

120

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	722	28.1%
18 and over	1,843	71.9%
65 and over	395	15.4%
Median age	36.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.6%

Two or more races 5.2%

Hispanic or Latino 3%

Other race 1.1%

Black or African American 0.7%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	2,370	89.6%
Two or more races	138	5.2%
Hispanic or Latino	79	3%
Other race	29	1.1%
Black or African American	19	0.7%
Asian	9	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	34.1%	39.1%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	42.7%	35.5%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	20.3%	20.6%	26.5%
Over $200k	2.9%	4.8%	8.5%

Under $10k 2.7%

$10k–$15k 2.0%

$15k–$25k 4.9%

$25k–$35k 3.5%

$35k–$50k 14.3%

$50k–$75k 17.6%

$75k–$100k 22.1%

$100k–$150k 21.4%

$150k–$200k 6.7%

$200k+ 4.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.7%
$10k–$15k	2.0%
$15k–$25k	4.9%
$25k–$35k	3.5%
$35k–$50k	14.3%
$50k–$75k	17.6%
$75k–$100k	22.1%
$100k–$150k	21.4%
$150k–$200k	6.7%
$200k+	4.6%
Median income	$80,179

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.6%

$50k–$100k 16.3%

$100k–$150k 14.6%

$150k–$200k 18.0%

$200k–$300k 24.9%

$300k–$500k 18.9%

$500k–$1M 3.8%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$195,700
Median rent / month	$818
Owner occupied	82.6%
Renter occupied	17.4%
Vacant	28.2%
Single-family detached	90.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	3.1%
Median rooms	6.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.75

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	7.5%
2000–2009	7.7%
1990–1999	8.5%
1980–1989	8.8%
1970–1979	17.8%
1960–1969	12.4%
1950–1959	13.7%
1940–1949	3.0%
1939 or earlier	20.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.1%
1 bedroom	3.9%
2 bedrooms	23.1%
3 bedrooms	38.7%
4 bedrooms	27.0%
5+ bedrooms	6.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.8%
1 vehicle	19.7%
2 vehicles	39.3%
3 or more	39.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	34.1%
Electricity	20.2%
Propane / LP gas	39.8%
Fuel oil	1.0%
Wood	3.6%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	577	61.7%
Cohabiting couple	45	4.8%
Male householder, no spouse	161	17.2%
Female householder, no spouse	152	16.3%
Households with children under 18	275	29.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	268	28.7%
Average household size	2.72

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.1%	14.7%
Married	59.2%	67.1%
Separated	0.1%	0.0%
Widowed	1.4%	6.6%
Divorced	7.2%	11.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.8%

Some HS, no diploma 2.1%

HS graduate 33.8%

Some college, no degree 24.6%

Associate's degree 15.4%

Bachelor's degree 17.4%

Graduate / professional 5.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	97.2%
Bachelor's or higher	23.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	80	13.1%
Kindergarten	35	5.7%
Elementary school	356	58.3%
High school	108	17.7%
College / grad school	32	5.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.7%

Manufacturing 10.3%

Construction 10.0%

Professional & management 9.6%

Retail trade 8.5%

Public administration 7.3%

Agriculture & mining 6.6%

Other services 5.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.2%

Transportation & utilities 4.5%

Wholesale trade 3.0%

Finance & real estate 2.3%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.8%
Service	15.6%
Sales & office	18.9%
Natural resources & construction	15.6%
Production & transportation	13.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.6%
Government	21.1%
Self-employed	7.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.9%
Carpool	4.6%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	2.5%
Work from home	6.2%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.9

Poverty

All people 4.6%

Under 18 years 5.8%

18 and over 4.1%

Married-couple families 1.9%

Female-led households 8.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.0%
Retirement income	21.0%
Supplemental Security	2.5%
Cash public assistance	1.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.4%
High blood pressure	30.2%
High cholesterol	31.6%
Diabetes	9.1%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	2.9%
Asthma	8.8%
Arthritis	24.2%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	5.7%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.2%
Binge drinking	18.6%
No physical activity	19.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.8%
Depression	21.0%
Fair or poor health	11.5%
Poor mental health	12.9%
Poor physical health	9.4%
No health insurance	10.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.3%
Visited dentist	69.5%
Cholesterol screening	90.1%
Teeth loss	10.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	180	9.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.2%
Under 18	3.2%
18–64 years	7.6%
65 and over	26.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	77.4%
Public insurance	32.1%
No insurance	6.1%
Uninsured under 19	5.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,377	92.7%
Spanish	12	0.5%
Other Indo-European	12	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,547	99.3%
Born in same state	2,544	99.2%
Born in different state	2,199	85.7%
Foreign born	3	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	18	0.7%
Not a US citizen	15	83.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	470	18.3%
Italian	168	6.5%
Arab	86	3.4%
French	82	3.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	28	1.1%
Dutch	22	0.9%
German	18	0.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.5%
Internet access	97.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56209

What city is ZIP code 56209 in?

ZIP code 56209 is primarily assigned to Atwater, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56209 in?

ZIP code 56209 falls within Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 56209 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 56209 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 56209 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 56209 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 56209?

ZIP code 56209 has an estimated population of 2,565 residents, with a density of 25 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56209?

The median home value in ZIP code 56209 is $195,700.

What timezone is ZIP code 56209 in?

ZIP code 56209 observes the CST timezone.