55738 ZIP Code — Forbes, MN

Saint Louis County, Minnesota

ZIP code 55738 is located in Forbes, Minnesota, within Saint Louis County. It covers approximately 119.80 square miles and serves a population of 603 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 55738

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 $132,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 96%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $72,500. 54% 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 33 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 55738 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

603

population

119.80

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

55738 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 55738

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 55738. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Forbes	Acceptable
Forbes	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

55751 Iron (8.2 mi) 55746 Hibbing (11.6 mi) 55734 Eveleth (12.4 mi) 55765 Meadowlands (12.6 mi) 55724 Cotton (14.4 mi) 55768 Mountain Iron (14.6 mi) 55741 Gilbert (17.2 mi) 55763 Makinen (19.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	603
Population density	5 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	137

Geography
Land area	119.80 sq mi
Water area	1.73 sq mi
Latitude	47.2838
Longitude	-92.6628
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	35.7%	44.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	45.2%	31.0%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	18.6%	20.5%	26.5%
Over $200k	0.5%	4.1%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

603

Population

People per sq mi

47.9

Median age

$72,500

Median household income

$37,480

Per capita income

$132,900

Median home value

Median monthly rent

95.7%

Home ownership

10.1%

Poverty rate

6.1%

Unemployment

288

Housing units

15.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	121	20.1%
18 and over	482	79.9%
65 and over	144	23.9%
Median age	47.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.1%

Two or more races 4.3%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Black or African American 1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	569	93.1%
Two or more races	26	4.3%
Hispanic or Latino	8	1.3%
Black or African American	6	1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	35.7%	44.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	45.2%	31.0%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	18.6%	20.5%	26.5%
Over $200k	0.5%	4.1%	8.5%

Under $10k 2.2%

$10k–$15k 1.7%

$15k–$25k 1.7%

$25k–$35k 10.3%

$35k–$50k 13.8%

$50k–$75k 22.4%

$75k–$100k 18.5%

$100k–$150k 15.1%

$150k–$200k 10.8%

$200k+ 3.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.2%
$10k–$15k	1.7%
$15k–$25k	1.7%
$25k–$35k	10.3%
$35k–$50k	13.8%
$50k–$75k	22.4%
$75k–$100k	18.5%
$100k–$150k	15.1%
$150k–$200k	10.8%
$200k+	3.4%
Median income	$72,500

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.2%

$50k–$100k 19.4%

$100k–$150k 33.3%

$150k–$200k 14.4%

$200k–$300k 21.6%

$300k–$500k 7.7%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$132,900
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	95.7%
Renter occupied	4.3%
Vacant	22.1%
Single-family detached	91.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	8.7%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.64

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.7%
2000–2009	10.1%
1990–1999	7.4%
1980–1989	12.1%
1970–1979	21.5%
1960–1969	3.0%
1950–1959	10.1%
1940–1949	3.4%
1939 or earlier	28.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.4%
1 bedroom	10.4%
2 bedrooms	22.8%
3 bedrooms	45.3%
4 bedrooms	13.1%
5+ bedrooms	3.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.8%
1 vehicle	6.9%
2 vehicles	45.7%
3 or more	39.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.0%
Electricity	9.5%
Propane / LP gas	44.0%
Fuel oil	22.0%
Wood	18.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	155	66.8%
Cohabiting couple	9	3.9%
Male householder, no spouse	30	12.9%
Female householder, no spouse	38	16.4%
Households with children under 18	52	22.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	104	44.8%
Average household size	2.60

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.5%	14.6%
Married	59.9%	66.3%
Separated	0.7%	1.3%
Widowed	4.9%	10.0%
Divorced	6.0%	7.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 4.0%

HS graduate 31.0%

Some college, no degree 33.0%

Associate's degree 16.9%

Bachelor's degree 6.0%

Graduate / professional 9.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.0%
Bachelor's or higher	15.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	8	5.9%
Kindergarten	4	2.9%
Elementary school	67	49.3%
High school	37	27.2%
College / grad school	20	14.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 32.0%

Agriculture & mining 12.6%

Construction 9.9%

Professional & management 8.2%

Finance & real estate 7.8%

Manufacturing 5.8%

Other services 5.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.1%

Public administration 3.7%

Wholesale trade 3.4%

Retail trade 3.1%

Transportation & utilities 3.1%

Information 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.7%
Service	19.4%
Sales & office	14.3%
Natural resources & construction	22.1%
Production & transportation	10.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.2%
Government	20.1%
Self-employed	4.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.0%
Carpool	6.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	15.8%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.5

Poverty

All people 10.1%

Under 18 years 17.6%

18 and over 8.3%

Married-couple families 7.7%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	53.9%
Retirement income	30.6%
Supplemental Security	4.3%
Cash public assistance	1.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.8%
High blood pressure	34.5%
High cholesterol	35.3%
Diabetes	10.7%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	29.6%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.0%
Cancer	7.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.3%
Binge drinking	20.3%
No physical activity	21.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.0%
Depression	23.8%
Fair or poor health	13.8%
Poor mental health	13.6%
Poor physical health	11.1%
No health insurance	10.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.0%
Visited dentist	63.3%
Cholesterol screening	91.1%
Teeth loss	12.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	49	10.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.3%
Under 18	1.7%
18–64 years	11.5%
65 and over	18.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	78.1%
Public insurance	43.3%
No insurance	1.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	585	97.0%
Spanish	0	0.0%
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)	602	99.8%
Born in same state	597	99.0%
Born in different state	508	84.2%
Foreign born	5	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	1	0.2%
Not a US citizen	1	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	73	12.1%
Polish	66	10.9%
French	37	6.1%
Arab	22	3.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	5	0.8%
German	4	0.7%
Norwegian	2	0.3%
Irish	1	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.5%
Internet access	89.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 55738

What city is ZIP code 55738 in?

ZIP code 55738 is primarily assigned to Forbes, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 55738 in?

ZIP code 55738 falls within Saint Louis County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 55738 mostly owner-occupied?

96% of occupied units in ZIP code 55738 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 55738 have a large retiree population?

54% of households in ZIP code 55738 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 55738?

The median home value in ZIP code 55738 is $132,900.

Does ZIP code 55738 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 55738 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 55738 in?

ZIP code 55738 observes the CST timezone.