55042 ZIP Code — Lake Elmo, MN

Washington County, Minnesota

ZIP code 55042 is located in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, within Washington County. It covers approximately 24.88 square miles and serves a population of 12,647 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 651.

About ZIP code 55042

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Median home value is $559,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 92%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($157,923) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 29% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 61% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 55042 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a high rate of remote workers.

12,647

population

24.88

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

55042 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 55042

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 55042. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lake Elmo	Acceptable
Lake Elmo	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

55128 Saint Paul (3 mi) 55125 Saint Paul (5.5 mi) 55082 Stillwater (5.8 mi) 55115 Saint Paul (5.9 mi) 55003 Bayport (6 mi) 55129 Saint Paul (6.2 mi) 55109 Saint Paul (6.5 mi) 55119 Saint Paul (6.8 mi) 55001 Afton (7 mi) 55043 Lakeland (7.4 mi) 55106 Saint Paul (7.9 mi) 55110 Saint Paul (8.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	12,647
Population density	508 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	163

Geography
Land area	24.88 sq mi
Water area	2.14 sq mi
Latitude	44.9924
Longitude	-92.8972
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	651

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	13.9%	20.8%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	19.6%	30.2%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	32.3%	34.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	34.2%	14.5%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

12,647

Population

508

People per sq mi

41.4

Median age

$157,923

Median household income

$79,741

Per capita income

$559,700

Median home value

Median monthly rent

92.2%

Home ownership

4.0%

Poverty rate

3.1%

Unemployment

4,292

Housing units

61.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

463

Under 5

452

442

5–9

431

415

10–14

405

507

15–19

494

352

20–24

344

472

25–34

460

910

35–44

887

997

45–54

971

445

55–59

433

390

60–64

380

571

65–74

557

331

75–84

323

109

85+

106

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,352	26.5%
18 and over	9,295	73.5%
65 and over	1,997	15.8%
Median age	41.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 88.3%

Black or African American 4.3%

Two or more races 3.3%

Asian 2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.5%

Other race 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	11,330	88.3%
Black or African American	557	4.3%
Two or more races	430	3.3%
Asian	261	2%
Hispanic or Latino	189	1.5%
Other race	62	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	13.9%	20.8%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	19.6%	30.2%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	32.3%	34.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	34.2%	14.5%	8.5%

Under $10k 3.5%

$10k–$15k 0.7%

$15k–$25k 2.0%

$25k–$35k 4.7%

$35k–$50k 3.4%

$50k–$75k 10.1%

$75k–$100k 7.5%

$100k–$150k 16.2%

$150k–$200k 11.5%

$200k+ 40.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.5%
$10k–$15k	0.7%
$15k–$25k	2.0%
$25k–$35k	4.7%
$35k–$50k	3.4%
$50k–$75k	10.1%
$75k–$100k	7.5%
$100k–$150k	16.2%
$150k–$200k	11.5%
$200k+	40.4%
Median income	$157,923

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.3%

$50k–$100k 1.9%

$150k–$200k 1.2%

$200k–$300k 5.4%

$300k–$500k 27.2%

$500k–$1M 53.2%

$1M+ 5.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$559,700
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	92.2%
Renter occupied	7.8%
Vacant	2.8%
Single-family detached	84.1%
Large apartment buildings	1.8%
Mobile homes	7.3%
Median rooms	7.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.87

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	3.3%
2010–2019	29.8%
2000–2009	13.5%
1990–1999	15.3%
1980–1989	8.4%
1970–1979	14.2%
1960–1969	3.7%
1950–1959	6.7%
1940–1949	0.6%
1939 or earlier	4.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	2.8%
2 bedrooms	10.5%
3 bedrooms	34.4%
4 bedrooms	38.4%
5+ bedrooms	13.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.4%
1 vehicle	14.7%
2 vehicles	56.0%
3 or more	25.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	84.8%
Electricity	13.2%
Propane / LP gas	0.7%
Fuel oil	0.5%
Wood	0.3%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,273	72.5%
Cohabiting couple	177	3.9%
Male householder, no spouse	417	9.2%
Female householder, no spouse	647	14.3%
Households with children under 18	1,700	37.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,379	30.5%
Average household size	2.79

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.2%	23.5%
Married	66.9%	65.1%
Separated	1.0%	0.4%
Widowed	2.9%	5.0%
Divorced	3.0%	6.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.7%

Some HS, no diploma 0.8%

HS graduate 14.9%

Some college, no degree 16.1%

Associate's degree 6.2%

Bachelor's degree 37.6%

Graduate / professional 23.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.5%
Bachelor's or higher	61.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	388	11.6%
Kindergarten	150	4.5%
Elementary school	1,312	39.2%
High school	893	26.7%
College / grad school	601	18.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.2%

Manufacturing 16.0%

Finance & real estate 12.7%

Professional & management 12.3%

Retail trade 8.0%

Wholesale trade 7.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.8%

Transportation & utilities 4.4%

Other services 3.9%

Construction 3.1%

Public administration 2.6%

Agriculture & mining 1.3%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	59.4%
Service	10.5%
Sales & office	20.1%
Natural resources & construction	3.3%
Production & transportation	6.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.6%
Government	8.7%
Self-employed	5.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	63.0%
Carpool	5.8%
Public transit	1.1%
Walk	0.4%
Work from home	28.5%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.6

Poverty

All people 4.0%

Under 18 years 3.7%

18 and over 4.1%

Married-couple families 2.4%

Female-led households 3.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	27.4%
Retirement income	28.9%
Supplemental Security	1.9%
Cash public assistance	0.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	1.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.8%
High blood pressure	27.2%
High cholesterol	30.2%
Diabetes	8.4%
Heart disease	4.9%
Stroke	2.2%
Asthma	8.4%
Arthritis	20.8%
Kidney disease	2.3%
Pulmonary disease	4.3%
Cancer	6.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	13.4%
Binge drinking	19.4%
No physical activity	15.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.5%
Depression	21.4%
Fair or poor health	8.9%
Poor mental health	11.9%
Poor physical health	7.5%
No health insurance	8.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.2%
Visited dentist	74.3%
Cholesterol screening	91.9%
Teeth loss	6.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	674	7.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	8.5%
Under 18	1.7%
18–64 years	6.2%
65 and over	28.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	87.5%
Public insurance	22.1%
No insurance	2.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	11,732	92.8%
Spanish	210	1.8%
Other Indo-European	93	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	66	0.6%
Other languages	23	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	12,022	95.1%
Born in same state	11,938	94.4%
Born in different state	8,639	68.3%
Foreign born	84	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	625	4.9%
Not a US citizen	416	66.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,015	15.9%
French	1,152	9.1%
Polish	971	7.7%
Arab	392	3.1%
German	155	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	101	0.8%
Dutch	63	0.5%
Irish	16	0.1%
Norwegian	12	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.7%
Internet access	97.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 55042

What city is ZIP code 55042 in?

ZIP code 55042 is primarily assigned to Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 55042 in?

ZIP code 55042 falls within Washington County, Minnesota.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 55042?

61% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 55042 mostly owner-occupied?

92% of occupied units in ZIP code 55042 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 55042?

The median household income in ZIP code 55042 is $157,923, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 55042?

The median home value in ZIP code 55042 is $559,700.

What timezone is ZIP code 55042 in?

ZIP code 55042 observes the CST timezone.