55312 ZIP Code — Brownton, MN

Mcleod County, Minnesota

ZIP code 55312 is located in Brownton, Minnesota, within Mcleod County. It covers approximately 73.58 square miles and serves a population of 1,458 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 320.

About ZIP code 55312

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 $201,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $88,056. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average. 38% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 55312 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,458

population

73.58

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

55312 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 55312

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 55312. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Brownton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

55385 Stewart (7.7 mi) 55336 Glencoe (7.7 mi) 55396 Winthrop (12.2 mi) 55350 Hutchinson (12.8 mi) 55314 Buffalo Lake (12.9 mi) 55307 Arlington (14 mi) 55370 Plato (14.6 mi) 55334 Gaylord (15.2 mi) 55381 Silver Lake (16.2 mi) 55354 Lester Prairie (16.5 mi) 55335 Gibbon (16.8 mi) 55338 Green Isle (18.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,458
Population density	20 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	085

Geography
Land area	73.58 sq mi
Water area	2.84 sq mi
Latitude	44.7176
Longitude	-94.3405
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	33.0%	36.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	34.8%	38.1%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	28.1%	21.6%	26.5%
Over $200k	4.1%	4.0%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

1,458

Population

People per sq mi

42.7

Median age

$88,056

Median household income

$35,935

Per capita income

$201,600

Median home value

$750

Median monthly rent

88.2%

Home ownership

6.1%

Poverty rate

3.0%

Unemployment

561

Housing units

14.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

107

45–54

107

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	362	24.8%
18 and over	1,096	75.2%
65 and over	255	17.5%
Median age	42.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%

Two or more races 1.4%

Hispanic or Latino 0.9%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	1,414	96.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	22	1.5%
Two or more races	21	1.4%
Hispanic or Latino	13	0.9%
Other race	1	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	33.0%	36.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	34.8%	38.1%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	28.1%	21.6%	26.5%
Over $200k	4.1%	4.0%	8.5%

Under $10k 2.2%

$10k–$15k 1.3%

$15k–$25k 5.8%

$25k–$35k 8.6%

$35k–$50k 9.3%

$50k–$75k 14.0%

$75k–$100k 16.4%

$100k–$150k 27.1%

$150k–$200k 9.3%

$200k+ 6.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.2%
$10k–$15k	1.3%
$15k–$25k	5.8%
$25k–$35k	8.6%
$35k–$50k	9.3%
$50k–$75k	14.0%
$75k–$100k	16.4%
$100k–$150k	27.1%
$150k–$200k	9.3%
$200k+	6.0%
Median income	$88,056

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.3%

$50k–$100k 8.2%

$100k–$150k 19.2%

$150k–$200k 19.7%

$200k–$300k 31.7%

$300k–$500k 12.1%

$500k–$1M 6.3%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$201,600
Median rent / month	$750
Owner occupied	88.2%
Renter occupied	11.8%
Vacant	14.1%
Single-family detached	92.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	1.1%
Median rooms	7.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.77

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.8%
2000–2009	7.9%
1990–1999	6.1%
1980–1989	5.1%
1970–1979	11.9%
1960–1969	7.9%
1950–1959	16.8%
1940–1949	4.2%
1939 or earlier	38.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.4%
1 bedroom	2.7%
2 bedrooms	18.1%
3 bedrooms	43.9%
4 bedrooms	24.5%
5+ bedrooms	8.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.7%
1 vehicle	15.1%
2 vehicles	34.5%
3 or more	48.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	36.9%
Electricity	13.6%
Propane / LP gas	36.9%
Fuel oil	11.0%
Wood	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	340	63.4%
Cohabiting couple	30	5.6%
Male householder, no spouse	91	17.0%
Female householder, no spouse	75	14.0%
Households with children under 18	170	31.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	169	31.5%
Average household size	2.72

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.1%	22.9%
Married	56.8%	58.5%
Separated	1.9%	0.0%
Widowed	1.3%	9.0%
Divorced	10.8%	9.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.9%

Some HS, no diploma 6.9%

HS graduate 36.7%

Some college, no degree 24.1%

Associate's degree 16.3%

Bachelor's degree 11.1%

Graduate / professional 3.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.2%
Bachelor's or higher	14.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	13	3.3%
Kindergarten	12	3.1%
Elementary school	184	46.9%
High school	157	40.1%
College / grad school	26	6.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 28.3%

Retail trade 11.9%

Education & healthcare 11.7%

Agriculture & mining 7.1%

Finance & real estate 6.3%

Public administration 6.3%

Transportation & utilities 5.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.5%

Construction 5.3%

Professional & management 4.8%

Wholesale trade 3.2%

Other services 2.1%

Information 1.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.0%
Service	8.9%
Sales & office	24.5%
Natural resources & construction	12.7%
Production & transportation	25.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.0%
Government	10.5%
Self-employed	7.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.3%
Carpool	3.7%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	1.1%
Work from home	8.9%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.4

Poverty

All people 6.1%

Under 18 years 9.3%

18 and over 5.0%

Married-couple families 1.8%

Female-led households 20.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.5%
Retirement income	23.1%
Supplemental Security	1.5%
Cash public assistance	0.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.3%
High blood pressure	30.2%
High cholesterol	31.9%
Diabetes	9.9%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	25.5%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.5%
Binge drinking	18.6%
No physical activity	22.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.3%
Depression	22.0%
Fair or poor health	12.9%
Poor mental health	13.5%
Poor physical health	10.2%
No health insurance	11.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.7%
Visited dentist	67.7%
Cholesterol screening	90.0%
Teeth loss	11.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	56	5.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.4%
Under 18	6.1%
18–64 years	6.8%
65 and over	28.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	73.4%
Public insurance	37.6%
No insurance	5.2%
Uninsured under 19	2.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,406	96.4%
Spanish	2	0.1%
Other Indo-European	2	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,447	99.2%
Born in same state	1,441	98.8%
Born in different state	1,312	90.0%
Foreign born	6	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	11	0.8%
Not a US citizen	11	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	163	11.2%
Italian	150	10.3%
French	75	5.1%
Dutch	35	2.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	34	2.3%
English	13	0.9%
German	2	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.8%
Internet access	94.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 55312

What city is ZIP code 55312 in?

ZIP code 55312 is primarily assigned to Brownton, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 55312 in?

ZIP code 55312 falls within Mcleod County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 55312 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 55312 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 55312?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 55312 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 55312 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 55312?

ZIP code 55312 has an estimated population of 1,458 residents, with a density of 20 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 55312 in?

ZIP code 55312 observes the CST timezone.