55731 ZIP Code — Ely, MN

Saint Louis County, Minnesota

ZIP code 55731 is located in Ely, Minnesota, within Saint Louis County. It covers approximately 1,606.72 square miles and serves a population of 5,297 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 55731

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 $198,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $61,394. 51% 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 15 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 38% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 55731 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

5,297

population

1,606.72

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

55731 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 55731

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 55731. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ely	Preferred

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,297
Population density	5,297 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	137

Geography
Land area	1,606.72 sq mi
Water area	272.38 sq mi
Latitude	47.9968
Longitude	-91.6638
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	52.0%	44.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	27.4%	31.0%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	17.3%	20.5%	26.5%
Over $200k	3.3%	4.1%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

5,297

Population

5,297

People per sq mi

57.8

Median age

$61,394

Median household income

$37,714

Per capita income

$198,500

Median home value

$589

Median monthly rent

75.2%

Home ownership

10.5%

Poverty rate

2.1%

Unemployment

4,156

Housing units

38.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

251

15–19

249

133

20–24

133

233

25–34

232

187

35–44

187

212

45–54

210

248

55–59

246

332

60–64

331

559

65–74

556

252

75–84

251

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	546	10.3%
18 and over	4,751	89.7%
65 and over	1,720	32.5%
Median age	57.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.2%

Two or more races 2.7%

Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

Black or African American 0.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Other race 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	5,031	93.2%
Two or more races	144	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	99	1.8%
Black or African American	50	0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	38	0.7%
Other race	34	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.0%	44.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	27.4%	31.0%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	17.3%	20.5%	26.5%
Over $200k	3.3%	4.1%	8.5%

Under $10k 8.3%

$10k–$15k 8.0%

$15k–$25k 6.3%

$25k–$35k 7.6%

$35k–$50k 12.8%

$50k–$75k 16.7%

$75k–$100k 13.5%

$100k–$150k 16.3%

$150k–$200k 7.7%

$200k+ 2.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.3%
$10k–$15k	8.0%
$15k–$25k	6.3%
$25k–$35k	7.6%
$35k–$50k	12.8%
$50k–$75k	16.7%
$75k–$100k	13.5%
$100k–$150k	16.3%
$150k–$200k	7.7%
$200k+	2.9%
Median income	$61,394

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.9%

$50k–$100k 8.7%

$100k–$150k 15.7%

$150k–$200k 23.2%

$200k–$300k 19.7%

$300k–$500k 19.3%

$500k–$1M 9.3%

$1M+ 1.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$198,500
Median rent / month	$589
Owner occupied	75.2%
Renter occupied	24.8%
Vacant	44.3%
Single-family detached	85.0%
Large apartment buildings	5.3%
Mobile homes	2.3%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.07

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.4%
2000–2009	10.3%
1990–1999	12.0%
1980–1989	9.1%
1970–1979	16.3%
1960–1969	8.8%
1950–1959	9.8%
1940–1949	6.1%
1939 or earlier	25.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.8%
1 bedroom	17.1%
2 bedrooms	36.0%
3 bedrooms	32.7%
4 bedrooms	9.1%
5+ bedrooms	2.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.3%
1 vehicle	31.5%
2 vehicles	31.3%
3 or more	25.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.8%
Electricity	17.8%
Propane / LP gas	31.5%
Fuel oil	26.9%
Wood	15.6%
No fuel used	0.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,131	42.1%
Cohabiting couple	165	6.1%
Male householder, no spouse	763	28.4%
Female householder, no spouse	627	23.3%
Households with children under 18	340	12.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,243	46.3%
Average household size	1.86

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	34.0%	26.9%
Married	47.0%	49.4%
Separated	2.7%	0.0%
Widowed	2.1%	10.2%
Divorced	14.1%	13.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 5.4%

HS graduate 18.7%

Some college, no degree 20.9%

Associate's degree 15.8%

Bachelor's degree 25.9%

Graduate / professional 12.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.4%
Bachelor's or higher	38.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	36	3.8%
Kindergarten	10	1.1%
Elementary school	255	27.1%
High school	240	25.5%
College / grad school	400	42.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.8%

Retail trade 11.4%

Construction 10.3%

Other services 7.7%

Professional & management 7.1%

Agriculture & mining 5.9%

Manufacturing 5.7%

Public administration 5.2%

Finance & real estate 4.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.7%

Information 2.3%

Wholesale trade 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	42.7%
Service	12.6%
Sales & office	20.7%
Natural resources & construction	14.6%
Production & transportation	9.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.0%
Government	18.7%
Self-employed	8.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	64.6%
Carpool	9.1%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	13.6%
Work from home	10.2%
Other means	2.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	14.9

Poverty

All people 10.5%

Under 18 years 0.7%

18 and over 11.7%

Married-couple families 1.9%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	51.2%
Retirement income	33.7%
Supplemental Security	2.9%
Cash public assistance	1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.5%
High blood pressure	34.3%
High cholesterol	34.1%
Diabetes	10.3%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	29.8%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	6.4%
Cancer	8.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.4%
Binge drinking	19.3%
No physical activity	20.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.6%
Depression	22.7%
Fair or poor health	12.4%
Poor mental health	12.7%
Poor physical health	10.1%
No health insurance	8.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.8%
Visited dentist	67.0%
Cholesterol screening	91.3%
Teeth loss	10.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	437	9.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.8%
Under 18	0.5%
18–64 years	9.8%
65 and over	25.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	75.9%
Public insurance	46.3%
No insurance	6.0%
Uninsured under 19	2.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,229	98.7%
Spanish	6	0.1%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,214	98.4%
Born in same state	5,171	97.6%
Born in different state	3,340	63.1%
Foreign born	43	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	83	1.6%
Not a US citizen	36	43.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	554	10.5%
Polish	523	9.9%
French	412	7.8%
Arab	98	1.9%
English	68	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	62	1.2%
Dutch	57	1.1%
Norwegian	53	1%
Irish	22	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	50.7%
Internet access	89.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 55731

What city is ZIP code 55731 in?

ZIP code 55731 is primarily assigned to Ely, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 55731 in?

ZIP code 55731 falls within Saint Louis County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 55731 have an older population?

33% of residents in ZIP code 55731 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 55731 have a large retiree population?

51% of households in ZIP code 55731 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 55731 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 55731 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 55731?

ZIP code 55731 has an estimated population of 5,297 residents, with a density of 3 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 55731 in?

ZIP code 55731 observes the CST timezone.