56215 ZIP Code — Benson, MN

Swift County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56215 is located in Benson, Minnesota, within Swift County. It covers approximately 211.20 square miles and serves a population of 4,696 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 320.

About ZIP code 56215

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 $150,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 70%.

The gap between median ($54,942) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 38% 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 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

4,696

population

211.20

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56215 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56215

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56215. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Benson	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56271 Murdock (8 mi) 56226 Clontarf (9.8 mi) 56231 Danvers (10 mi) 56252 Kerkhoven (13.2 mi) 56289 Sunburg (16.3 mi) 56249 Holloway (17.2 mi) 56381 Starbuck (18.5 mi) 56244 Hancock (19.2 mi) 56279 Pennock (19.2 mi) 56323 Cyrus (19.2 mi) 56208 Appleton (19.4 mi) 56265 Montevideo (19.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,696
Population density	22 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	151

Geography
Land area	211.20 sq mi
Water area	2.84 sq mi
Latitude	45.2822
Longitude	-95.5526
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	48.1%	46.7%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	28.3%	30.5%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	15.1%	17.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	8.5%	5.3%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

4,696

Population

People per sq mi

43.8

Median age

$54,942

Median household income

$36,416

Per capita income

$150,500

Median home value

$898

Median monthly rent

69.5%

Home ownership

8.0%

Poverty rate

3.5%

Unemployment

1,589

Housing units

26.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

155

Under 5

153

5–9

153

10–14

151

228

15–19

226

119

20–24

118

248

25–34

245

275

35–44

272

283

45–54

280

152

55–59

151

152

60–64

151

291

65–74

289

152

75–84

151

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,037	22.1%
18 and over	3,659	77.9%
65 and over	1,065	22.7%
Median age	43.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.5%

Two or more races 4.5%

Hispanic or Latino 2.9%

Black or African American 0.7%

Other race 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	4,426	91.5%
Two or more races	218	4.5%
Hispanic or Latino	141	2.9%
Black or African American	33	0.7%
Other race	16	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.1%	46.7%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	28.3%	30.5%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	15.1%	17.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	8.5%	5.3%	8.5%

Under $10k 3.6%

$10k–$15k 4.0%

$15k–$25k 10.3%

$25k–$35k 10.6%

$35k–$50k 12.5%

$50k–$75k 19.4%

$75k–$100k 8.2%

$100k–$150k 17.8%

$150k–$200k 5.1%

$200k+ 8.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.6%
$10k–$15k	4.0%
$15k–$25k	10.3%
$25k–$35k	10.6%
$35k–$50k	12.5%
$50k–$75k	19.4%
$75k–$100k	8.2%
$100k–$150k	17.8%
$150k–$200k	5.1%
$200k+	8.7%
Median income	$54,942

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.2%

$50k–$100k 24.1%

$100k–$150k 17.4%

$150k–$200k 16.0%

$200k–$300k 18.6%

$300k–$500k 10.3%

$500k–$1M 2.6%

$1M+ 2.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$150,500
Median rent / month	$898
Owner occupied	69.5%
Renter occupied	30.5%
Vacant	9.1%
Single-family detached	79.3%
Large apartment buildings	9.1%
Mobile homes	1.2%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.36

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.5%
2000–2009	8.5%
1990–1999	8.4%
1980–1989	6.6%
1970–1979	10.6%
1960–1969	8.8%
1950–1959	17.1%
1940–1949	13.9%
1939 or earlier	22.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.2%
1 bedroom	7.7%
2 bedrooms	24.7%
3 bedrooms	39.1%
4 bedrooms	22.2%
5+ bedrooms	6.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.9%
1 vehicle	32.6%
2 vehicles	41.7%
3 or more	21.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	56.2%
Electricity	19.3%
Propane / LP gas	17.8%
Fuel oil	5.0%
Wood	0.3%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	955	47.8%
Cohabiting couple	148	7.4%
Male householder, no spouse	393	19.7%
Female householder, no spouse	502	25.1%
Households with children under 18	626	31.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	704	35.2%
Average household size	2.29

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.9%	22.4%
Married	50.5%	48.9%
Separated	1.3%	1.0%
Widowed	2.3%	14.4%
Divorced	12.0%	13.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%

Some HS, no diploma 2.9%

HS graduate 30.2%

Some college, no degree 22.2%

Associate's degree 15.6%

Bachelor's degree 23.0%

Graduate / professional 3.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.9%
Bachelor's or higher	26.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	89	8.0%
Kindergarten	20	1.8%
Elementary school	379	34.0%
High school	360	32.3%
College / grad school	268	24.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.2%

Manufacturing 16.1%

Retail trade 10.0%

Agriculture & mining 9.0%

Transportation & utilities 7.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.0%

Professional & management 6.3%

Other services 4.9%

Public administration 4.2%

Construction 2.8%

Finance & real estate 1.5%

Information 1.4%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.3%
Service	17.5%
Sales & office	18.7%
Natural resources & construction	6.9%
Production & transportation	16.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.7%
Government	17.5%
Self-employed	8.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.6%
Carpool	5.9%
Public transit	0.7%
Walk	6.3%
Work from home	3.9%
Other means	1.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.3

Poverty

All people 8.0%

Under 18 years 7.2%

18 and over 8.2%

Married-couple families 0.5%

Female-led households 19.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.2%
Retirement income	21.9%
Supplemental Security	4.5%
Cash public assistance	4.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	14.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.4%
High blood pressure	36.0%
High cholesterol	33.3%
Diabetes	11.2%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	28.3%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	7.3%
Cancer	8.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.9%
Binge drinking	17.6%
No physical activity	23.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.6%
Depression	21.3%
Fair or poor health	14.7%
Poor mental health	13.3%
Poor physical health	11.1%
No health insurance	11.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.0%
Visited dentist	66.6%
Cholesterol screening	89.8%
Teeth loss	13.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	199	5.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.0%
Under 18	2.6%
18–64 years	15.7%
65 and over	39.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.3%
Public insurance	46.2%
No insurance	3.4%
Uninsured under 19	2.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,388	93.4%
Spanish	26	0.6%
Other Indo-European	21	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,648	99.0%
Born in same state	4,636	98.7%
Born in different state	3,908	83.2%
Foreign born	12	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	48	1.0%
Not a US citizen	4	8.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	1,428	30.4%
Italian	455	9.7%
French	366	7.8%
Arab	206	4.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	71	1.5%
Dutch	29	0.6%
Irish	8	0.2%
German	7	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.5%
Internet access	91.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56215

What city is ZIP code 56215 in?

ZIP code 56215 is primarily assigned to Benson, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56215 in?

ZIP code 56215 falls within Swift County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 56215 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 56215 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56215?

The median home value in ZIP code 56215 is $150,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 56215?

ZIP code 56215 has an estimated population of 4,696 residents, with a density of 22 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 56215?

The median household income in ZIP code 56215 is $54,942, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 56215 in?

ZIP code 56215 observes the CST timezone.