56355 ZIP Code — Nelson, MN

Douglas County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56355 is located in Nelson, Minnesota, within Douglas County. It covers approximately 25.62 square miles and serves a population of 626 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218/320.

About ZIP code 56355

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 $267,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $91,563.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 11% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 56355 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, and high homeownership.

626

population

25.62

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56355 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56355

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56355. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Nelson	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56319 Carlos (5.2 mi) 56360 Osakis (5.7 mi) 56308 Alexandria (8.4 mi) 56354 Miltona (9.8 mi) 56332 Garfield (14 mi) 56446 Eagle Bend (14.4 mi) 56385 Villard (15.1 mi) 56347 Long Prairie (17.2 mi) 56361 Parkers Prairie (17.5 mi) 56315 Brandon (18 mi) 56378 Sauk Centre (18.9 mi) 56349 Lowry (19.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	626
Population density	24 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	041

Geography
Land area	25.62 sq mi
Water area	0.18 sq mi
Latitude	45.9262
Longitude	-95.2291
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	218/320

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	32.4%	36.8%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	46.6%	36.3%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	20.1%	22.2%	26.5%
Over $200k	0.9%	4.7%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

626

Population

People per sq mi

33.8

Median age

$91,563

Median household income

$31,285

Per capita income

$267,900

Median home value

$889

Median monthly rent

85.7%

Home ownership

8.6%

Poverty rate

0.6%

Unemployment

192

Housing units

16.5%

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	222	35.5%
18 and over	404	64.5%
65 and over	59	9.4%
Median age	33.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 99.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	625	99.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	32.4%	36.8%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	46.6%	36.3%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	20.1%	22.2%	26.5%
Over $200k	0.9%	4.7%	8.5%

Under $10k 12.4%

$10k–$15k 1.4%

$15k–$25k 0.9%

$25k–$35k 3.2%

$35k–$50k 9.2%

$50k–$75k 18.0%

$75k–$100k 10.6%

$100k–$150k 32.7%

$150k–$200k 9.7%

$200k+ 1.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	12.4%
$10k–$15k	1.4%
$15k–$25k	0.9%
$25k–$35k	3.2%
$35k–$50k	9.2%
$50k–$75k	18.0%
$75k–$100k	10.6%
$100k–$150k	32.7%
$150k–$200k	9.7%
$200k+	1.8%
Median income	$91,563

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.6%

$50k–$100k 1.6%

$100k–$150k 7.0%

$150k–$200k 18.3%

$200k–$300k 31.2%

$300k–$500k 27.4%

$500k–$1M 12.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$267,900
Median rent / month	$889
Owner occupied	85.7%
Renter occupied	14.3%
Vacant	2.7%
Single-family detached	90.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	2.2%
Median rooms	6.8
Avg household size (owned)	3.04

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.7%
2010–2019	5.8%
2000–2009	17.0%
1990–1999	4.9%
1980–1989	22.0%
1970–1979	15.2%
1960–1969	0.4%
1950–1959	4.0%
1940–1949	0.9%
1939 or earlier	26.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	2.7%
2 bedrooms	16.6%
3 bedrooms	37.2%
4 bedrooms	39.0%
5+ bedrooms	3.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.5%
1 vehicle	18.0%
2 vehicles	29.5%
3 or more	46.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	12.0%
Electricity	8.8%
Propane / LP gas	64.1%
Fuel oil	11.1%
Wood	3.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	135	62.2%
Cohabiting couple	12	5.5%
Male householder, no spouse	35	16.1%
Female householder, no spouse	35	16.1%
Households with children under 18	64	29.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	43	19.8%
Average household size	2.88

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	19.6%	10.4%
Married	66.5%	72.5%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.4%	8.8%
Divorced	13.4%	8.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.5%

Some HS, no diploma 0.3%

HS graduate 34.8%

Some college, no degree 22.6%

Associate's degree 25.3%

Bachelor's degree 13.0%

Graduate / professional 3.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	99.2%
Bachelor's or higher	16.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	23	11.8%
Kindergarten	34	17.4%
Elementary school	101	51.8%
High school	16	8.2%
College / grad school	21	10.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 29.4%

Manufacturing 20.8%

Public administration 11.8%

Construction 8.9%

Other services 6.4%

Finance & real estate 4.2%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Retail trade 3.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.5%

Professional & management 2.9%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.9%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	47.6%
Service	16.3%
Sales & office	11.8%
Natural resources & construction	8.3%
Production & transportation	16.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.9%
Government	24.9%
Self-employed	4.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.8%
Carpool	6.3%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	0.7%
Work from home	4.3%
Other means	1.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.1

Poverty

All people 8.6%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 13.4%

Married-couple families 8.1%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	22.1%
Retirement income	16.1%
Supplemental Security	1.8%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.9%
High blood pressure	27.0%
High cholesterol	27.4%
Diabetes	8.0%
Heart disease	5.4%
Stroke	2.5%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	21.1%
Kidney disease	2.5%
Pulmonary disease	5.0%
Cancer	6.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.6%
Binge drinking	21.2%
No physical activity	19.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.4%
Depression	21.7%
Fair or poor health	10.4%
Poor mental health	13.3%
Poor physical health	8.6%
No health insurance	10.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.8%
Visited dentist	67.2%
Cholesterol screening	89.6%
Teeth loss	9.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	45	11.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	6.9%
Under 18	6.3%
18–64 years	6.4%
65 and over	11.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	80.8%
Public insurance	32.5%
No insurance	1.9%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	575	91.9%
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)	624	99.7%
Born in same state	624	99.7%
Born in different state	538	85.9%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	2	0.3%
Not a US citizen	2	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	192	30.7%
English	47	7.5%
Italian	37	5.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	16	2.6%
Arab	10	1.6%
Dutch	2	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.7%
Internet access	93.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56355

What city is ZIP code 56355 in?

ZIP code 56355 is primarily assigned to Nelson, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56355 in?

ZIP code 56355 falls within Douglas County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 56355 family-oriented?

36% of residents in ZIP code 56355 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

Is ZIP code 56355 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 56355 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 56355 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 56355 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 56355?

ZIP code 56355 has an estimated population of 626 residents, with a density of 24 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 56355 in?

ZIP code 56355 observes the CST timezone.