56435 ZIP Code — Backus, MN

Cass County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56435 is located in Backus, Minnesota, within Cass County. It covers approximately 158.32 square miles and serves a population of 2,833 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 56435

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 $216,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 92%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $62,365. 44% 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.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (20%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 56435 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,833

population

158.32

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56435 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56435

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56435. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Backus	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56474 Pine River (8.3 mi) 56452 Hackensack (9.9 mi) 56472 Pequot Lakes (15 mi) 56433 Akeley (15 mi) 56467 Nevis (17 mi) 56484 Walker (19.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,833
Population density	18 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	021

Geography
Land area	158.32 sq mi
Water area	15.35 sq mi
Latitude	46.8144
Longitude	-94.5333
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	218

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.8%	47.9%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	34.9%	30.8%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	18.1%	18.6%	26.5%
Over $200k	1.3%	2.7%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

2,833

Population

People per sq mi

51.7

Median age

$62,365

Median household income

$31,286

Per capita income

$216,800

Median home value

$875

Median monthly rent

91.6%

Home ownership

12.0%

Poverty rate

5.2%

Unemployment

2,088

Housing units

17.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

124

25–34

118

138

35–44

132

140

45–54

135

165

55–59

158

130

60–64

124

220

65–74

211

120

75–84

114

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	543	19.2%
18 and over	2,290	80.8%
65 and over	735	25.9%
Median age	51.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 88.9%

Two or more races 6.1%

Black or African American 1.5%

Hispanic or Latino 1.2%

Asian 1.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%

Other race 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	2,550	88.9%
Two or more races	174	6.1%
Black or African American	43	1.5%
Hispanic or Latino	35	1.2%
Asian	33	1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	25	0.9%
Other race	8	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.8%	47.9%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	34.9%	30.8%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	18.1%	18.6%	26.5%
Over $200k	1.3%	2.7%	8.5%

Under $10k 3.1%

$10k–$15k 4.8%

$15k–$25k 7.0%

$25k–$35k 8.4%

$35k–$50k 13.0%

$50k–$75k 23.8%

$75k–$100k 14.3%

$100k–$150k 19.7%

$150k–$200k 3.9%

$200k+ 2.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.1%
$10k–$15k	4.8%
$15k–$25k	7.0%
$25k–$35k	8.4%
$35k–$50k	13.0%
$50k–$75k	23.8%
$75k–$100k	14.3%
$100k–$150k	19.7%
$150k–$200k	3.9%
$200k+	2.0%
Median income	$62,365

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.4%

$50k–$100k 13.3%

$100k–$150k 15.2%

$150k–$200k 12.5%

$200k–$300k 27.7%

$300k–$500k 17.8%

$500k–$1M 8.4%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$216,800
Median rent / month	$875
Owner occupied	91.6%
Renter occupied	8.4%
Vacant	46.2%
Single-family detached	89.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	8.6%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.35

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	4.6%
2000–2009	18.7%
1990–1999	18.1%
1980–1989	18.4%
1970–1979	15.4%
1960–1969	6.5%
1950–1959	6.0%
1940–1949	6.7%
1939 or earlier	5.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	7.0%
2 bedrooms	35.8%
3 bedrooms	36.9%
4 bedrooms	13.6%
5+ bedrooms	4.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.9%
1 vehicle	21.9%
2 vehicles	46.7%
3 or more	27.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.4%
Electricity	20.5%
Propane / LP gas	50.3%
Fuel oil	3.1%
Wood	19.1%
Solar	0.3%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	664	56.5%
Cohabiting couple	108	9.2%
Male householder, no spouse	215	18.3%
Female householder, no spouse	189	16.1%
Households with children under 18	252	21.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	478	40.6%
Average household size	2.37

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	22.9%	19.9%
Married	56.5%	59.5%
Separated	0.8%	0.7%
Widowed	2.0%	9.1%
Divorced	17.7%	10.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.2%

Some HS, no diploma 5.4%

HS graduate 35.9%

Some college, no degree 26.5%

Associate's degree 13.7%

Bachelor's degree 11.5%

Graduate / professional 5.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.3%
Bachelor's or higher	17.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	37	7.0%
Kindergarten	21	4.0%
Elementary school	259	49.1%
High school	145	27.5%
College / grad school	65	12.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 16.8%

Manufacturing 14.5%

Retail trade 12.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.9%

Construction 11.0%

Professional & management 8.2%

Agriculture & mining 6.2%

Other services 3.9%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Finance & real estate 3.7%

Wholesale trade 3.5%

Information 2.7%

Public administration 1.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.4%
Service	19.2%
Sales & office	18.3%
Natural resources & construction	14.0%
Production & transportation	24.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.4%
Government	9.4%
Self-employed	10.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.2%
Carpool	10.6%
Public transit	0.8%
Walk	1.8%
Work from home	10.1%
Other means	1.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.1

Poverty

All people 12.0%

Under 18 years 18.1%

18 and over 10.6%

Married-couple families 3.6%

Female-led households 9.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.6%
Retirement income	29.8%
Supplemental Security	5.8%
Cash public assistance	3.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.0%
High blood pressure	36.0%
High cholesterol	35.0%
Diabetes	11.8%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	28.7%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	8.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.3%
Binge drinking	18.0%
No physical activity	23.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.2%
Depression	22.0%
Fair or poor health	15.2%
Poor mental health	13.2%
Poor physical health	11.6%
No health insurance	11.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.0%
Visited dentist	63.0%
Cholesterol screening	90.5%
Teeth loss	12.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	223	9.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.3%
Under 18	5.3%
18–64 years	11.4%
65 and over	27.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	52.6%
Public insurance	57.1%
No insurance	11.0%
Uninsured under 19	9.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,689	94.9%
Spanish	24	0.9%
Other Indo-European	11	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	12	0.4%
Other languages	1	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,797	98.7%
Born in same state	2,780	98.1%
Born in different state	2,179	76.9%
Foreign born	17	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	36	1.3%
Not a US citizen	19	52.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	317	11.2%
French	279	9.8%
Italian	248	8.8%
Arab	110	3.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	40	1.4%
English	32	1.1%
German	20	0.7%
Irish	2	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.5%
Internet access	89.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56435

What city is ZIP code 56435 in?

ZIP code 56435 is primarily assigned to Backus, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56435 in?

ZIP code 56435 falls within Cass County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 56435 mostly owner-occupied?

92% of occupied units in ZIP code 56435 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 56435 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 56435 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 56435 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 56435 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 56435 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 56435 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 56435 in?

ZIP code 56435 observes the CST timezone.