56159 ZIP Code — Mountain Lake, MN

Cottonwood County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56159 is located in Mountain Lake, Minnesota, within Cottonwood County. It covers approximately 126.40 square miles and serves a population of 2,595 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 507.

About ZIP code 56159

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 $132,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $61,328. 38% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 13 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 56159 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,595

population

126.40

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56159 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56159

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56159. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Mountain Lake	Acceptable
Mountain Lake	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56120 Butterfield (8.3 mi) 56160 Odin (9.4 mi) 56019 Comfrey (11.9 mi) 56145 Jeffers (13.5 mi) 56101 Windom (14 mi) 56162 Ormsby (15.9 mi) 56176 Trimont (16 mi) 56081 Saint James (17.1 mi) 56143 Jackson (18.5 mi) 56174 Storden (18.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,595
Population density	21 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	033

Geography
Land area	126.40 sq mi
Water area	0.63 sq mi
Latitude	43.9419
Longitude	-94.9495
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	507

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.9%	49.5%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	36.8%	33.0%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	10.0%	15.6%	26.5%
Over $200k	1.3%	1.9%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

2,595

Population

People per sq mi

38.6

Median age

$61,328

Median household income

$27,821

Per capita income

$132,100

Median home value

$590

Median monthly rent

76.3%

Home ownership

15.2%

Poverty rate

5.0%

Unemployment

837

Housing units

22.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

106

5–9

107

10–14

125

15–19

141

20–24

110

25–34

125

130

35–44

146

128

45–54

145

55–59

60–64

116

65–74

130

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	762	29.4%
18 and over	1,833	70.6%
65 and over	519	20.0%
Median age	38.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 71.2%

Asian 10.1%

Hispanic or Latino 9%

Other race 5.9%

Two or more races 3.7%

Group	Count	%
White	2,032	71.2%
Asian	289	10.1%
Hispanic or Latino	258	9%
Other race	169	5.9%
Two or more races	105	3.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.9%	49.5%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	36.8%	33.0%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	10.0%	15.6%	26.5%
Over $200k	1.3%	1.9%	8.5%

Under $10k 3.9%

$10k–$15k 2.2%

$15k–$25k 11.9%

$25k–$35k 7.3%

$35k–$50k 15.6%

$50k–$75k 19.5%

$75k–$100k 17.8%

$100k–$150k 11.8%

$150k–$200k 5.2%

$200k+ 4.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.9%
$10k–$15k	2.2%
$15k–$25k	11.9%
$25k–$35k	7.3%
$35k–$50k	15.6%
$50k–$75k	19.5%
$75k–$100k	17.8%
$100k–$150k	11.8%
$150k–$200k	5.2%
$200k+	4.8%
Median income	$61,328

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.2%

$50k–$100k 28.0%

$100k–$150k 27.2%

$150k–$200k 18.1%

$200k–$300k 14.0%

$300k–$500k 6.5%

$500k–$1M 0.8%

$1M+ 1.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$132,100
Median rent / month	$590
Owner occupied	76.3%
Renter occupied	23.7%
Vacant	9.6%
Single-family detached	86.6%
Large apartment buildings	4.3%
Mobile homes	0.1%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.63

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	4.7%
2000–2009	2.3%
1990–1999	2.8%
1980–1989	10.0%
1970–1979	19.1%
1960–1969	15.1%
1950–1959	12.1%
1940–1949	4.3%
1939 or earlier	29.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	7.8%
2 bedrooms	23.8%
3 bedrooms	37.4%
4 bedrooms	22.5%
5+ bedrooms	8.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.1%
1 vehicle	20.5%
2 vehicles	36.4%
3 or more	37.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	65.7%
Electricity	14.0%
Propane / LP gas	18.2%
Fuel oil	0.9%
Wood	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	448	46.5%
Cohabiting couple	60	6.2%
Male householder, no spouse	166	17.2%
Female householder, no spouse	289	30.0%
Households with children under 18	350	36.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	329	34.2%
Average household size	2.56

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.4%	32.4%
Married	51.5%	43.5%
Separated	1.5%	0.2%
Widowed	2.7%	14.1%
Divorced	8.0%	9.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.7%

Some HS, no diploma 5.2%

HS graduate 33.0%

Some college, no degree 22.1%

Associate's degree 11.5%

Bachelor's degree 18.8%

Graduate / professional 3.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.1%
Bachelor's or higher	22.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	47	6.8%
Kindergarten	36	5.2%
Elementary school	294	42.2%
High school	247	35.5%
College / grad school	72	10.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 21.7%

Education & healthcare 19.7%

Retail trade 12.9%

Agriculture & mining 12.3%

Transportation & utilities 7.7%

Other services 6.3%

Construction 5.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.1%

Information 3.3%

Public administration 2.9%

Professional & management 1.9%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Finance & real estate 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.6%
Service	14.0%
Sales & office	23.7%
Natural resources & construction	9.0%
Production & transportation	21.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.0%
Government	13.0%
Self-employed	9.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	69.6%
Carpool	10.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	5.6%
Work from home	12.8%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	12.7

Poverty

All people 15.2%

Under 18 years 17.6%

18 and over 14.2%

Married-couple families 3.8%

Female-led households 34.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.8%
Retirement income	19.0%
Supplemental Security	5.7%
Cash public assistance	5.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.4%
High blood pressure	33.9%
High cholesterol	33.3%
Diabetes	11.5%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	8.8%
Arthritis	26.5%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	7.1%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.9%
Binge drinking	16.0%
No physical activity	27.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.8%
Depression	20.9%
Fair or poor health	15.5%
Poor mental health	13.3%
Poor physical health	11.2%
No health insurance	13.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.8%
Visited dentist	61.7%
Cholesterol screening	88.3%
Teeth loss	15.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	73	4.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.4%
Under 18	7.1%
18–64 years	7.1%
65 and over	41.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.2%
Public insurance	40.3%
No insurance	4.3%
Uninsured under 19	1.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,395	92.3%
Spanish	148	6.2%
Other Indo-European	51	2.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	97	4.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,363	91.1%
Born in same state	2,360	90.9%
Born in different state	1,797	69.2%
Foreign born	3	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	232	8.9%
Not a US citizen	142	61.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	239	9.2%
Italian	165	6.4%
Arab	111	4.3%
English	84	3.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	57	2.2%
Dutch	20	0.8%
Irish	9	0.3%
German	4	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.1%
Internet access	89.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56159

What city is ZIP code 56159 in?

ZIP code 56159 is primarily assigned to Mountain Lake, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56159 in?

ZIP code 56159 falls within Cottonwood County, Minnesota.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56159?

15% of residents in ZIP code 56159 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 56159 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 56159 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56159?

The median home value in ZIP code 56159 is $132,100.

What is the population of ZIP code 56159?

ZIP code 56159 has an estimated population of 2,595 residents, with a density of 21 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 56159 in?

ZIP code 56159 observes the CST timezone.