56540 ZIP Code — Fertile, MN

Polk County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56540 is located in Fertile, Minnesota, within Polk County. It covers approximately 173.68 square miles and serves a population of 1,916 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 56540

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 $172,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $77,188. 36% 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 26 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 24% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 56540 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,916

population

173.68

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56540 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56540

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56540. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Fertile	Acceptable
Fertile	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56545 Gary (9.6 mi) 56736 Mentor (12.1 mi) 56592 Winger (12.2 mi) 56517 Beltrami (12.4 mi) 56516 Bejou (15.4 mi) 56510 Ada (16.1 mi) 56535 Erskine (16.5 mi) 56584 Twin Valley (18.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,916
Population density	11 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	119

Geography
Land area	173.68 sq mi
Water area	3.34 sq mi
Latitude	47.5004
Longitude	-96.2595
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	42.0%	44.0%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	32.5%	31.7%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	23.1%	20.9%	26.5%
Over $200k	2.4%	3.3%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

1,916

Population

People per sq mi

42.0

Median age

$77,188

Median household income

$33,578

Per capita income

$172,700

Median home value

$726

Median monthly rent

85.0%

Home ownership

9.9%

Poverty rate

4.8%

Unemployment

716

Housing units

24.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

114

45–54

130

55–59

60–64

65–74

105

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	500	26.1%
18 and over	1,416	73.9%
65 and over	457	23.9%
Median age	42.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.1%

Hispanic or Latino 2%

Other race 1.9%

Two or more races 1.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Black or African American 0.1%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	1,839	94.1%
Hispanic or Latino	39	2%
Other race	38	1.9%
Two or more races	31	1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.3%
Black or African American	2	0.1%
Asian	1	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.0%	44.0%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	32.5%	31.7%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	23.1%	20.9%	26.5%
Over $200k	2.4%	3.3%	8.5%

Under $10k 2.9%

$10k–$15k 4.9%

$15k–$25k 7.5%

$25k–$35k 6.9%

$35k–$50k 9.9%

$50k–$75k 17.5%

$75k–$100k 15.4%

$100k–$150k 25.6%

$150k–$200k 6.5%

$200k+ 3.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.9%
$10k–$15k	4.9%
$15k–$25k	7.5%
$25k–$35k	6.9%
$35k–$50k	9.9%
$50k–$75k	17.5%
$75k–$100k	15.4%
$100k–$150k	25.6%
$150k–$200k	6.5%
$200k+	3.0%
Median income	$77,188

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.9%

$50k–$100k 18.4%

$100k–$150k 14.1%

$150k–$200k 18.3%

$200k–$300k 27.8%

$300k–$500k 11.8%

$500k–$1M 2.8%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$172,700
Median rent / month	$726
Owner occupied	85.0%
Renter occupied	15.0%
Vacant	8.6%
Single-family detached	84.3%
Large apartment buildings	1.0%
Mobile homes	6.1%
Median rooms	6.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.61

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	7.8%
2000–2009	5.3%
1990–1999	7.0%
1980–1989	7.2%
1970–1979	14.6%
1960–1969	7.5%
1950–1959	9.2%
1940–1949	5.4%
1939 or earlier	36.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.2%
1 bedroom	8.0%
2 bedrooms	16.6%
3 bedrooms	42.7%
4 bedrooms	24.1%
5+ bedrooms	8.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.4%
1 vehicle	19.6%
2 vehicles	44.3%
3 or more	28.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	13.0%
Electricity	25.7%
Propane / LP gas	39.5%
Fuel oil	15.7%
Wood	5.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	439	57.8%
Cohabiting couple	40	5.3%
Male householder, no spouse	131	17.3%
Female householder, no spouse	149	19.6%
Households with children under 18	241	31.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	274	36.1%
Average household size	2.46

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.6%	20.9%
Married	61.2%	55.6%
Separated	0.8%	1.4%
Widowed	5.3%	15.2%
Divorced	7.0%	7.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.6%

Some HS, no diploma 4.0%

HS graduate 29.7%

Some college, no degree 22.9%

Associate's degree 16.5%

Bachelor's degree 19.6%

Graduate / professional 4.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.5%
Bachelor's or higher	24.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	7	1.6%
Kindergarten	27	6.2%
Elementary school	266	60.7%
High school	110	25.1%
College / grad school	28	6.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.6%

Retail trade 14.5%

Agriculture & mining 9.9%

Manufacturing 9.9%

Wholesale trade 9.0%

Transportation & utilities 8.9%

Construction 6.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.1%

Finance & real estate 3.8%

Other services 3.2%

Professional & management 2.5%

Information 1.4%

Public administration 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.9%
Service	12.6%
Sales & office	25.3%
Natural resources & construction	14.2%
Production & transportation	19.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.6%
Government	10.8%
Self-employed	9.6%
Unpaid family workers	1.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.1%
Carpool	12.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.9%
Work from home	7.8%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.4

Poverty

All people 9.9%

Under 18 years 12.2%

18 and over 9.0%

Married-couple families 4.6%

Female-led households 12.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.2%
Retirement income	25.3%
Supplemental Security	3.6%
Cash public assistance	2.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.8%
High blood pressure	34.7%
High cholesterol	32.8%
Diabetes	11.0%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	28.1%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	6.9%
Cancer	8.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.6%
Binge drinking	17.8%
No physical activity	24.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.6%
Depression	21.6%
Fair or poor health	13.8%
Poor mental health	12.9%
Poor physical health	10.8%
No health insurance	11.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.3%
Visited dentist	66.8%
Cholesterol screening	90.9%
Teeth loss	12.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	124	8.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.9%
Under 18	1.8%
18–64 years	8.4%
65 and over	28.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.8%
Public insurance	44.7%
No insurance	7.7%
Uninsured under 19	11.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,821	95.0%
Spanish	19	1.0%
Other Indo-European	3	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	9	0.5%
Other languages	7	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,903	99.3%
Born in same state	1,901	99.2%
Born in different state	1,349	70.4%
Foreign born	2	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	13	0.7%
Not a US citizen	11	84.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	869	45.4%
Arab	107	5.6%
Italian	76	4%
French	64	3.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	36	1.9%
German	21	1.1%
Dutch	6	0.3%
Irish	3	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.6%
Internet access	88.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56540

What city is ZIP code 56540 in?

ZIP code 56540 is primarily assigned to Fertile, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56540 in?

ZIP code 56540 falls within Polk County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 56540 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 56540 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 56540 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 56540 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56540?

The median home value in ZIP code 56540 is $172,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 56540?

ZIP code 56540 has an estimated population of 1,916 residents, with a density of 11 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 56540 in?

ZIP code 56540 observes the CST timezone.