55342 ZIP Code — Hector, MN

Renville County, Minnesota

ZIP code 55342 is located in Hector, Minnesota, within Renville County. It covers approximately 161.67 square miles and serves a population of 1,819 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 320.

About ZIP code 55342

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 $129,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $61,518. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 37% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 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 55342 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,819

population

161.67

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

55342 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 55342

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 55342. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hector	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

55314 Buffalo Lake (6.7 mi) 55310 Bird Island (7.9 mi) 55385 Stewart (12.1 mi) 56277 Olivia (12.2 mi) 56228 Cosmos (12.9 mi) 55333 Franklin (16 mi) 56253 Lake Lillian (17 mi) 55350 Hutchinson (17.1 mi) 56230 Danube (17.5 mi) 55332 Fairfax (17.6 mi) 55335 Gibbon (19 mi) 56270 Morton (19.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,819
Population density	11 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	129

Geography
Land area	161.67 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	44.7608
Longitude	-94.7315
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	36.2%	41.4%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	42.2%	37.7%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	16.6%	17.6%	26.5%
Over $200k	4.9%	3.4%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

1,819

Population

People per sq mi

41.1

Median age

$61,518

Median household income

$34,065

Per capita income

$129,600

Median home value

$1,083

Median monthly rent

81.4%

Home ownership

7.1%

Poverty rate

2.8%

Unemployment

748

Housing units

14.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

114

25–34

107

103

35–44

112

45–54

104

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	371	20.4%
18 and over	1,448	79.6%
65 and over	331	18.2%
Median age	41.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 88.7%

Two or more races 4.9%

Hispanic or Latino 3.3%

Other race 2.1%

Asian 0.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Black or African American 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	1,668	88.7%
Two or more races	93	4.9%
Hispanic or Latino	62	3.3%
Other race	40	2.1%
Asian	8	0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.3%
Black or African American	4	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.2%	41.4%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	42.2%	37.7%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	16.6%	17.6%	26.5%
Over $200k	4.9%	3.4%	8.5%

Under $10k 2.2%

$10k–$15k 3.1%

$15k–$25k 8.1%

$25k–$35k 9.8%

$35k–$50k 12.3%

$50k–$75k 23.6%

$75k–$100k 13.3%

$100k–$150k 16.5%

$150k–$200k 6.3%

$200k+ 4.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.2%
$10k–$15k	3.1%
$15k–$25k	8.1%
$25k–$35k	9.8%
$35k–$50k	12.3%
$50k–$75k	23.6%
$75k–$100k	13.3%
$100k–$150k	16.5%
$150k–$200k	6.3%
$200k+	4.8%
Median income	$61,518

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.9%

$50k–$100k 18.7%

$100k–$150k 27.3%

$150k–$200k 16.7%

$200k–$300k 12.2%

$300k–$500k 8.2%

$500k–$1M 2.6%

$1M+ 0.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$129,600
Median rent / month	$1,083
Owner occupied	81.4%
Renter occupied	18.6%
Vacant	18.8%
Single-family detached	83.8%
Large apartment buildings	6.8%
Mobile homes	4.1%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.66

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.8%
2000–2009	7.8%
1990–1999	5.8%
1980–1989	4.4%
1970–1979	14.0%
1960–1969	12.1%
1950–1959	13.3%
1940–1949	12.4%
1939 or earlier	29.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.8%
1 bedroom	5.8%
2 bedrooms	20.4%
3 bedrooms	43.5%
4 bedrooms	22.5%
5+ bedrooms	2.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.3%
1 vehicle	24.2%
2 vehicles	37.1%
3 or more	33.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	52.0%
Electricity	11.7%
Propane / LP gas	29.5%
Fuel oil	4.9%
No fuel used	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	339	47.4%
Cohabiting couple	47	6.6%
Male householder, no spouse	165	23.1%
Female householder, no spouse	164	22.9%
Households with children under 18	166	23.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	255	35.7%
Average household size	2.52

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	37.6%	27.1%
Married	49.7%	51.3%
Separated	0.5%	0.3%
Widowed	1.3%	9.1%
Divorced	10.9%	12.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.9%

Some HS, no diploma 7.2%

HS graduate 37.6%

Some college, no degree 22.4%

Associate's degree 15.7%

Bachelor's degree 12.0%

Graduate / professional 2.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.8%
Bachelor's or higher	14.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	44	11.1%
Kindergarten	9	2.3%
Elementary school	155	39.2%
High school	94	23.8%
College / grad school	93	23.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 29.8%

Manufacturing 17.7%

Agriculture & mining 11.1%

Retail trade 7.7%

Other services 5.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.4%

Construction 4.3%

Wholesale trade 3.7%

Professional & management 3.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.5%

Public administration 3.5%

Finance & real estate 2.9%

Information 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.3%
Service	30.2%
Sales & office	19.7%
Natural resources & construction	8.5%
Production & transportation	14.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.3%
Government	10.5%
Self-employed	7.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.6%
Carpool	9.7%
Public transit	0.9%
Walk	2.9%
Work from home	9.2%
Other means	2.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.6

Poverty

All people 7.1%

Under 18 years 6.2%

18 and over 7.3%

Married-couple families 3.5%

Female-led households 10.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.5%
Retirement income	19.0%
Supplemental Security	3.9%
Cash public assistance	1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.2%
High blood pressure	33.9%
High cholesterol	32.5%
Diabetes	10.7%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	26.0%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	7.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.6%
Binge drinking	18.7%
No physical activity	23.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.6%
Depression	21.6%
Fair or poor health	13.8%
Poor mental health	13.2%
Poor physical health	10.7%
No health insurance	11.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.7%
Visited dentist	67.7%
Cholesterol screening	89.9%
Teeth loss	12.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	109	7.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.0%
Under 18	8.7%
18–64 years	12.8%
65 and over	23.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.5%
Public insurance	46.5%
No insurance	4.4%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,715	94.3%
Spanish	19	1.1%
Other Indo-European	13	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	6	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,796	98.7%
Born in same state	1,796	98.7%
Born in different state	1,620	89.1%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	23	1.3%
Not a US citizen	2	8.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	244	13.4%
French	117	6.4%
Italian	94	5.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	52	2.9%
Arab	36	2%
Dutch	29	1.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.3%
Internet access	87.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 55342

What city is ZIP code 55342 in?

ZIP code 55342 is primarily assigned to Hector, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 55342 in?

ZIP code 55342 falls within Renville County, Minnesota.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 55342?

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

Is ZIP code 55342 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 55342 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 55342 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 55342 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 55342?

The median home value in ZIP code 55342 is $129,600.

What timezone is ZIP code 55342 in?

ZIP code 55342 observes the CST timezone.