56518 ZIP Code — Bluffton, MN

Otter Tail County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56518 is located in Bluffton, Minnesota, within Otter Tail County. It covers approximately 18.51 square miles and serves a population of 402 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 56518

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $142,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $53,472. Poverty affects 21% of residents, above the national average. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 22 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 8% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 11% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 56518 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

402
population
18.51
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
56518 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 56518

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56518. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Bluffton Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
56482 Wadena (3.5 mi) 56527 Deer Creek (8.3 mi) 56567 New York Mills (9.3 mi) 56453 Hewitt (13.4 mi) 56481 Verndale (13.4 mi) 56477 Sebeka (14.4 mi) 56571 Ottertail (14.8 mi) 56551 Henning (15.5 mi) 56434 Aldrich (15.9 mi) 56573 Perham (17.3 mi) 56437 Bertha (19.2 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 402
Population density 22 / sq mi
State FIPS 27
County FIPS 111
Geography
Land area 18.51 sq mi
Water area 0.09 sq mi
Latitude 46.4813
Longitude -95.2281
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 52.1% 43.1% 33.6%
$50k – $100k 28.8% 33.2% 31.5%
$100k – $200k 19.2% 19.7% 26.5%
Over $200k 0.0% 4.0% 8.5%

Demographics & statistics

402
Population
22
People per sq mi
31.4
Median age
$53,472
Median household income
$27,568
Per capita income
$142,900
Median home value
$890
Median monthly rent
85.7%
Home ownership
21.1%
Poverty rate
0.0%
Unemployment
145
Housing units
7.8%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
19
Under 5
18
16
5–9
15
22
10–14
20
9
15–19
8
22
20–24
21
26
25–34
24
18
35–44
17
14
45–54
13
21
55–59
19
6
60–64
6
24
65–74
22
7
75–84
6
5
85+
4
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1812531.1%
18 and over27768.9%
65 and over6816.9%
Median age31.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or more races 5.8%
Other race 0.7%
Asian 0.2%
GroupCount%
White37386.9%
Hispanic or Latino276.3%
Two or more races255.8%
Other race30.7%
Asian10.2%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 52.1% 43.1% 33.6%
$50k – $100k 28.8% 33.2% 31.5%
$100k – $200k 19.2% 19.7% 26.5%
Over $200k 0.0% 4.0% 8.5%
Under $10k 5.6%
$10k–$15k 1.9%
$15k–$25k 13.0%
$25k–$35k 6.2%
$35k–$50k 16.8%
$50k–$75k 19.3%
$75k–$100k 9.9%
$100k–$150k 19.9%
$150k–$200k 6.2%
$200k+ 1.2%
Range% of households
Under $10k5.6%
$10k–$15k1.9%
$15k–$25k13.0%
$25k–$35k6.2%
$35k–$50k16.8%
$50k–$75k19.3%
$75k–$100k9.9%
$100k–$150k19.9%
$150k–$200k6.2%
$200k+1.2%
Median income$53,472

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 21.0%
$50k–$100k 23.9%
$100k–$150k 6.5%
$150k–$200k 20.3%
$200k–$300k 14.5%
$300k–$500k 7.2%
$500k–$1M 6.5%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$142,900
Median rent / month$890
Owner occupied85.7%
Renter occupied14.3%
Vacant4.2%
Single-family detached73.2%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes20.8%
Median rooms6.3
Avg household size (owned)2.63

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.6%
2010–20196.5%
2000–200910.1%
1990–19997.1%
1980–198912.5%
1970–197925.6%
1960–19695.4%
1950–19593.0%
1940–19496.5%
1939 or earlier22.6%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.6%
1 bedroom0.0%
2 bedrooms28.0%
3 bedrooms43.5%
4 bedrooms20.8%
5+ bedrooms7.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle6.8%
1 vehicle16.8%
2 vehicles45.3%
3 or more31.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas0.6%
Electricity24.2%
Propane / LP gas46.0%
Fuel oil13.0%
Wood16.1%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family8049.7%
Cohabiting couple1710.6%
Male householder, no spouse3521.7%
Female householder, no spouse2918.0%
Households with children under 186741.6%
Households with seniors (65+)4628.6%
Average household size2.50

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married30.6%28.1%
Married51.6%57.8%
Separated0.0%0.7%
Widowed0.6%7.4%
Divorced17.2%5.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.0%
Some HS, no diploma 9.9%
HS graduate 45.7%
Some college, no degree 20.7%
Associate's degree 12.9%
Bachelor's degree 5.2%
Graduate / professional 2.6%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher87.1%
Bachelor's or higher7.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool77.6%
Kindergarten44.3%
Elementary school5458.7%
High school2527.2%
College / grad school22.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.4%
Manufacturing 18.8%
Retail trade 12.5%
Construction 12.0%
Transportation & utilities 7.3%
Agriculture & mining 6.3%
Wholesale trade 5.7%
Other services 3.1%
Information 2.6%
Finance & real estate 2.6%
Public administration 2.6%
Professional & management 2.1%
Arts, food & hospitality 1.0%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts21.9%
Service13.5%
Sales & office24.0%
Natural resources & construction14.1%
Production & transportation26.6%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector82.3%
Government9.4%
Self-employed8.3%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone84.1%
Carpool7.1%
Public transit0.0%
Walk2.7%
Work from home6.0%
Other means0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)21.5

Poverty

All people 21.1%
Under 18 years 34.7%
18 and over 15.2%
Married-couple families 13.8%
Female-led households 13.3%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security32.3%
Retirement income23.6%
Supplemental Security1.9%
Cash public assistance2.5%
Food stamps / SNAP5.6%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity31.6%
High blood pressure28.7%
High cholesterol30.4%
Diabetes8.3%
Heart disease6.1%
Stroke2.9%
Asthma9.1%
Arthritis22.4%
Kidney disease2.7%
Pulmonary disease5.8%
Cancer6.3%
Behavior / access%
Smoking19.4%
Binge drinking21.9%
No physical activity21.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep26.1%
Depression23.9%
Fair or poor health12.6%
Poor mental health14.4%
Poor physical health9.6%
No health insurance11.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)70.2%
Visited dentist65.4%
Cholesterol screening86.6%
Teeth loss12.9%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans3111.2%
Disability%
Any disability10.9%
Under 182.4%
18–64 years11.5%
65 and over25.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance79.6%
Public insurance48.0%
No insurance3.0%
Uninsured under 193.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only36590.8%
Spanish20.5%
Other Indo-European00.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander20.5%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)39798.8%
Born in same state39598.3%
Born in different state33783.8%
Foreign born20.5%
Naturalized citizen51.2%
Not a US citizen360.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Italian348.5%
Polish338.2%
Arab184.5%
AncestryCount%
English143.5%
German51.2%
French51.2%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access40.0%
Internet access89.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56518

What city is ZIP code 56518 in?

ZIP code 56518 is primarily assigned to Bluffton, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56518 in?

ZIP code 56518 falls within Otter Tail County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 56518 family-oriented?

31% of residents in ZIP code 56518 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 56518?

8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56518?

21% of residents in ZIP code 56518 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 56518 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 56518 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 56518 in?

ZIP code 56518 observes the CST timezone.

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