56736 ZIP Code — Mentor, MN

Polk County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56736 is located in Mentor, Minnesota, within Polk County. It covers approximately 110.32 square miles and serves a population of 650 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 56736

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1960s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $268,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 91%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $81,563. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 52% 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 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 56736 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

650

population

110.32

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56736 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56736

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56736. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Mentor	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56535 Erskine (8.9 mi) 56540 Fertile (12.1 mi) 56715 Brooks (12.3 mi) 56592 Winger (13.1 mi) 56750 Red Lake Falls (13.5 mi) 56517 Beltrami (14.5 mi) 56556 Mcintosh (14.9 mi) 56716 Crookston (18 mi) 56742 Oklee (18.2 mi) 56516 Bejou (19.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	650
Population density	6 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	119

Geography
Land area	110.32 sq mi
Water area	3.63 sq mi
Latitude	47.6729
Longitude	-96.2096
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	29.0%	44.0%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	42.0%	31.7%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	23.1%	20.9%	26.5%
Over $200k	5.9%	3.3%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

650

Population

People per sq mi

56.8

Median age

$81,563

Median household income

$45,410

Per capita income

$268,000

Median home value

$1,042

Median monthly rent

90.8%

Home ownership

6.7%

Poverty rate

2.5%

Unemployment

853

Housing units

22.6%

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	103	15.8%
18 and over	547	84.2%
65 and over	211	32.5%
Median age	56.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 97.8%

Two or more races 1.2%

Asian 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	636	97.8%
Two or more races	8	1.2%
Asian	6	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	29.0%	44.0%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	42.0%	31.7%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	23.1%	20.9%	26.5%
Over $200k	5.9%	3.3%	8.5%

Under $10k 1.6%

$10k–$15k 1.3%

$15k–$25k 10.9%

$25k–$35k 6.6%

$35k–$50k 9.2%

$50k–$75k 14.8%

$75k–$100k 22.0%

$100k–$150k 16.1%

$150k–$200k 8.6%

$200k+ 8.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.6%
$10k–$15k	1.3%
$15k–$25k	10.9%
$25k–$35k	6.6%
$35k–$50k	9.2%
$50k–$75k	14.8%
$75k–$100k	22.0%
$100k–$150k	16.1%
$150k–$200k	8.6%
$200k+	8.9%
Median income	$81,563

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.7%

$50k–$100k 12.0%

$100k–$150k 5.4%

$150k–$200k 12.7%

$200k–$300k 17.0%

$300k–$500k 26.4%

$500k–$1M 17.0%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$268,000
Median rent / month	$1,042
Owner occupied	90.8%
Renter occupied	9.2%
Vacant	65.5%
Single-family detached	88.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	9.9%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.11

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	7.3%
2000–2009	11.6%
1990–1999	11.4%
1980–1989	10.0%
1970–1979	15.3%
1960–1969	19.9%
1950–1959	5.8%
1940–1949	4.5%
1939 or earlier	13.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	5.4%
2 bedrooms	30.8%
3 bedrooms	44.9%
4 bedrooms	14.1%
5+ bedrooms	4.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.0%
1 vehicle	17.1%
2 vehicles	40.5%
3 or more	40.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.9%
Electricity	26.3%
Propane / LP gas	56.3%
Fuel oil	9.2%
Wood	3.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	183	60.2%
Cohabiting couple	22	7.2%
Male householder, no spouse	59	19.4%
Female householder, no spouse	40	13.2%
Households with children under 18	51	16.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	142	46.7%
Average household size	2.14

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	20.2%	11.7%
Married	58.3%	68.2%
Separated	0.3%	0.0%
Widowed	2.3%	10.6%
Divorced	18.9%	9.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.2%

Some HS, no diploma 6.4%

HS graduate 31.4%

Some college, no degree 26.9%

Associate's degree 11.5%

Bachelor's degree 15.2%

Graduate / professional 7.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.4%
Bachelor's or higher	22.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	3	3.2%
Kindergarten	5	5.4%
Elementary school	43	46.2%
High school	33	35.5%
College / grad school	9	9.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.0%

Construction 14.6%

Retail trade 13.6%

Manufacturing 10.7%

Public administration 7.1%

Agriculture & mining 6.5%

Wholesale trade 5.8%

Professional & management 4.2%

Finance & real estate 3.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.9%

Transportation & utilities 3.6%

Other services 3.2%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.1%
Service	19.4%
Sales & office	15.9%
Natural resources & construction	20.1%
Production & transportation	15.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.8%
Government	16.2%
Self-employed	11.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.4%
Carpool	6.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	6.8%
Work from home	2.9%
Other means	2.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.3

Poverty

All people 6.7%

Under 18 years 9.1%

18 and over 6.2%

Married-couple families 1.1%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	52.0%
Retirement income	32.2%
Supplemental Security	0.7%
Cash public assistance	0.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.0%
High blood pressure	37.4%
High cholesterol	34.9%
Diabetes	12.5%
Heart disease	8.6%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	30.2%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	8.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.4%
Binge drinking	16.7%
No physical activity	25.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.7%
Depression	22.0%
Fair or poor health	14.9%
Poor mental health	12.8%
Poor physical health	11.7%
No health insurance	10.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.5%
Visited dentist	66.5%
Cholesterol screening	91.9%
Teeth loss	12.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	58	10.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	8.3%
Under 18	1.9%
18–64 years	8.0%
65 and over	11.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	72.0%
Public insurance	52.0%
No insurance	1.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	624	96.0%
Spanish	1	0.2%
Other Indo-European	1	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	642	98.8%
Born in same state	639	98.3%
Born in different state	403	62.0%
Foreign born	3	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	8	1.2%
Not a US citizen	8	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	275	42.3%
Italian	45	6.9%
Arab	30	4.6%
English	19	2.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	18	2.8%
German	11	1.7%
Dutch	1	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.8%
Internet access	89.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56736

What city is ZIP code 56736 in?

ZIP code 56736 is primarily assigned to Mentor, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56736 in?

ZIP code 56736 falls within Polk County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 56736 have an older population?

33% of residents in ZIP code 56736 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 56736 have a large retiree population?

52% of households in ZIP code 56736 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 56736 mostly owner-occupied?

91% of occupied units in ZIP code 56736 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 56736 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 56736 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 56736 in?

ZIP code 56736 observes the CST timezone.