56537 ZIP Code — Fergus Falls, MN
Otter Tail County, Minnesota
ZIP code 56537 is located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, within Otter Tail County. It covers approximately 283.35 square miles and serves a population of 19,870 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.
About ZIP code 56537
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 $197,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 72%.
Median household income is $59,824. 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 15 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 29% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
19,870
population
283.35
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
56537 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 56537
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56537. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Fergus Falls | Acceptable |
| Fergus Falls | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
56324 Dalton (11.4 mi)
56543 Foxhome (11.6 mi)
56586 Underwood (13.1 mi)
56534 Erhard (14.4 mi)
56590 Wendell (14.4 mi)
56531 Elbow Lake (17.5 mi)
56522 Campbell (17.5 mi)
56515 Battle Lake (18.3 mi)
56520 Breckenridge (18.6 mi)
56579 Rothsay (19.2 mi)
56309 Ashby (19.5 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 19,870 |
| Population density | 70 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 27 |
| County FIPS | 111 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 283.35 sq mi |
| Water area | 22.29 sq mi |
| Latitude | 46.2698 |
| Longitude | -96.0873 |
| 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 | 47.9% | 43.1% | 33.6% |
| $50k – $100k | 30.7% | 33.2% | 31.5% |
| $100k – $200k | 17.4% | 19.7% | 26.5% |
| Over $200k | 4.0% | 4.0% | 8.5% |
Demographics & statistics
19,870
Population
70
People per sq mi
42.7
Median age
$59,824
Median household income
$34,910
Per capita income
$197,600
Median home value
$764
Median monthly rent
71.8%
Home ownership
7.6%
Poverty rate
5.6%
Unemployment
7,181
Housing units
28.9%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
511
Under 5
562
694
5–9
764
551
10–14
606
604
15–19
665
474
20–24
522
968
25–34
1,065
1,117
35–44
1,229
948
45–54
1,043
689
55–59
757
781
60–64
859
1,045
65–74
1,150
741
75–84
816
338
85+
371
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 4,383 | 22.1% |
| 18 and over | 15,487 | 77.9% |
| 65 and over | 4,461 | 22.5% |
| Median age | 42.7 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
90.3%
Two or more races
4.3%
Hispanic or Latino
2.1%
Black or African American
1.3%
Asian
0.9%
Other race
0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 18,324 | 90.3% |
| Two or more races | 865 | 4.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 420 | 2.1% |
| Black or African American | 266 | 1.3% |
| Asian | 180 | 0.9% |
| Other race | 168 | 0.8% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 37 | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 30 | 0.1% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 47.9% | 43.1% | 33.6% |
| $50k – $100k | 30.7% | 33.2% | 31.5% |
| $100k – $200k | 17.4% | 19.7% | 26.5% |
| Over $200k | 4.0% | 4.0% | 8.5% |
Under $10k
4.2%
$10k–$15k
3.7%
$15k–$25k
9.8%
$25k–$35k
12.6%
$35k–$50k
12.8%
$50k–$75k
14.8%
$75k–$100k
14.2%
$100k–$150k
16.8%
$150k–$200k
5.1%
$200k+
5.9%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 4.2% |
| $10k–$15k | 3.7% |
| $15k–$25k | 9.8% |
| $25k–$35k | 12.6% |
| $35k–$50k | 12.8% |
| $50k–$75k | 14.8% |
| $75k–$100k | 14.2% |
| $100k–$150k | 16.8% |
| $150k–$200k | 5.1% |
| $200k+ | 5.9% |
| Median income | $59,824 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
4.7%
$50k–$100k
10.9%
$100k–$150k
15.9%
$150k–$200k
19.2%
$200k–$300k
25.1%
$300k–$500k
18.4%
$500k–$1M
4.1%
$1M+
1.7%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $197,600 |
| Median rent / month | $764 |
| Owner occupied | 71.8% |
| Renter occupied | 28.2% |
| Vacant | 11.6% |
| Single-family detached | 70.4% |
| Large apartment buildings | 9.4% |
| Mobile homes | 3.2% |
| Median rooms | 6.1 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.43 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.0% |
| 2010–2019 | 8.2% |
| 2000–2009 | 8.4% |
| 1990–1999 | 11.7% |
| 1980–1989 | 11.8% |
| 1970–1979 | 14.6% |
| 1960–1969 | 9.9% |
| 1950–1959 | 11.6% |
| 1940–1949 | 6.9% |
| 1939 or earlier | 17.0% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 1.6% |
| 1 bedroom | 10.0% |
| 2 bedrooms | 24.5% |
| 3 bedrooms | 37.7% |
| 4 bedrooms | 19.2% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 7.0% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 7.9% |
| 1 vehicle | 34.2% |
| 2 vehicles | 33.9% |
| 3 or more | 24.0% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 44.1% |
| Electricity | 31.7% |
| Propane / LP gas | 14.5% |
| Fuel oil | 5.7% |
| Wood | 1.6% |
| No fuel used | 0.7% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 3,874 | 45.8% |
| Cohabiting couple | 571 | 6.8% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 1,605 | 19.0% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 2,403 | 28.4% |
| Households with children under 18 | 1,948 | 23.0% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 2,954 | 34.9% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 32.8% | 27.3% |
| Married | 54.3% | 45.8% |
| Separated | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Widowed | 2.9% | 10.6% |
| Divorced | 8.7% | 15.0% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
1.6%
Some HS, no diploma
3.6%
HS graduate
23.8%
Some college, no degree
25.0%
Associate's degree
17.1%
Bachelor's degree
20.2%
Graduate / professional
8.7%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 94.8% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 28.9% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 290 | 6.9% |
| Kindergarten | 303 | 7.2% |
| Elementary school | 2,028 | 48.4% |
| High school | 889 | 21.2% |
| College / grad school | 677 | 16.2% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
31.1%
Retail trade
13.2%
Manufacturing
9.3%
Professional & management
7.6%
Transportation & utilities
6.8%
Arts, food & hospitality
6.8%
Construction
6.5%
Public administration
5.2%
Other services
4.5%
Finance & real estate
3.1%
Agriculture & mining
2.8%
Wholesale trade
2.1%
Information
0.9%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 38.7% |
| Service | 21.7% |
| Sales & office | 18.9% |
| Natural resources & construction | 9.1% |
| Production & transportation | 11.6% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 77.9% |
| Government | 15.6% |
| Self-employed | 6.5% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.0% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.5% |
| Carpool | 8.5% |
| Public transit | 2.2% |
| Walk | 3.2% |
| Work from home | 10.1% |
| Other means | 2.4% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 15.4 |
Poverty
All people
7.6%
Under 18 years
5.5%
18 and over
8.3%
Married-couple families
1.4%
Female-led households
12.9%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 38.0% |
| Retirement income | 28.6% |
| Supplemental Security | 6.1% |
| Cash public assistance | 7.1% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 8.7% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 30.2% |
| High blood pressure | 32.6% |
| High cholesterol | 33.8% |
| Diabetes | 9.4% |
| Heart disease | 7.4% |
| Stroke | 3.4% |
| Asthma | 8.7% |
| Arthritis | 26.6% |
| Kidney disease | 3.2% |
| Pulmonary disease | 6.2% |
| Cancer | 8.3% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 16.3% |
| Binge drinking | 19.1% |
| No physical activity | 21.0% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 24.6% |
| Depression | 21.9% |
| Fair or poor health | 12.7% |
| Poor mental health | 12.5% |
| Poor physical health | 9.8% |
| No health insurance | 10.2% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 73.7% |
| Visited dentist | 69.3% |
| Cholesterol screening | 90.4% |
| Teeth loss | 11.6% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 1,244 | 8.0% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 17.8% |
| Under 18 | 8.1% |
| 18–64 years | 14.9% |
| 65 and over | 35.5% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 72.0% |
| Public insurance | 44.7% |
| No insurance | 4.2% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 2.1% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 18,797 | 94.6% |
| Spanish | 72 | 0.4% |
| Other Indo-European | 46 | 0.2% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.0% |
| Other languages | 15 | 0.1% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 19,544 | 98.4% |
| Born in same state | 19,364 | 97.5% |
| Born in different state | 14,055 | 70.7% |
| Foreign born | 180 | 0.9% |
| Naturalized citizen | 326 | 1.6% |
| Not a US citizen | 246 | 75.5% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Polish | 5,905 | 29.7% |
| Italian | 1,618 | 8.1% |
| French | 1,087 | 5.5% |
| Arab | 718 | 3.6% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English | 270 | 1.4% |
| Dutch | 224 | 1.1% |
| German | 102 | 0.5% |
| Irish | 9 | 0% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 42.5% |
| Internet access | 91.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56537
What city is ZIP code 56537 in?
ZIP code 56537 is primarily assigned to Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
What county is ZIP code 56537 in?
ZIP code 56537 falls within Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
Does ZIP code 56537 have a large retiree population?
38% of households in ZIP code 56537 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.
What is the population of ZIP code 56537?
ZIP code 56537 has an estimated population of 19,870 residents, with a density of 70 people per square mile.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56537?
The median home value in ZIP code 56537 is $197,600.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 56537?
The median household income in ZIP code 56537 is $59,824, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 56537 in?
ZIP code 56537 observes the CST timezone.