56278 ZIP Code — Ortonville, MN

Big Stone County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56278 is located in Ortonville, Minnesota, within Big Stone County. It covers approximately 135.37 square miles and serves a population of 2,740 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 320.

About ZIP code 56278

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 $122,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 75%.

Median household income is $61,827. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 45% 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 15 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 21% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

2,740
population
135.37
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
56278 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 56278

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56278. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Ortonville Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
57227 Corona (4.8 mi) 57216 Big Stone City (9.3 mi) 56225 Clinton (10.8 mi) 57252 Milbank (12.4 mi) 56276 Odessa (13.5 mi) 57279 Wilmot (13.7 mi) 56240 Graceville (14.6 mi) 57269 Twin Brooks (15.8 mi) 56211 Beardsley (18.1 mi) 56212 Bellingham (18.2 mi) 56227 Correll (19.7 mi) 57251 Marvin (20 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 2,740
Population density 20 / sq mi
State FIPS 27
County FIPS 011
Geography
Land area 135.37 sq mi
Water area 10.06 sq mi
Latitude 45.3793
Longitude -96.5609
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 45.9% 43.4% 33.6%
$50k – $100k 31.6% 34.3% 31.5%
$100k – $200k 19.8% 19.6% 26.5%
Over $200k 2.7% 2.7% 8.5%

Demographics & statistics

2,740
Population
20
People per sq mi
48.5
Median age
$61,827
Median household income
$36,045
Per capita income
$122,000
Median home value
$707
Median monthly rent
74.9%
Home ownership
6.8%
Poverty rate
2.2%
Unemployment
1,253
Housing units
21.3%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
67
Under 5
66
82
5–9
80
77
10–14
76
54
15–19
53
79
20–24
77
152
25–34
149
130
35–44
126
160
45–54
156
87
55–59
85
116
60–64
114
199
65–74
195
89
75–84
87
93
85+
91
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1851718.9%
18 and over2,22381.1%
65 and over75427.5%
Median age48.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.9%
Two or more races 2%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%
Other race 0.7%
Asian 0.4%
Black or African American 0.2%
GroupCount%
White2,64995.9%
Two or more races552%
Hispanic or Latino230.8%
Other race180.7%
Asian120.4%
Black or African American60.2%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 45.9% 43.4% 33.6%
$50k – $100k 31.6% 34.3% 31.5%
$100k – $200k 19.8% 19.6% 26.5%
Over $200k 2.7% 2.7% 8.5%
Under $10k 3.2%
$10k–$15k 6.1%
$15k–$25k 12.6%
$25k–$35k 8.7%
$35k–$50k 12.9%
$50k–$75k 18.8%
$75k–$100k 12.0%
$100k–$150k 14.6%
$150k–$200k 7.0%
$200k+ 4.0%
Range% of households
Under $10k3.2%
$10k–$15k6.1%
$15k–$25k12.6%
$25k–$35k8.7%
$35k–$50k12.9%
$50k–$75k18.8%
$75k–$100k12.0%
$100k–$150k14.6%
$150k–$200k7.0%
$200k+4.0%
Median income$61,827

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.6%
$50k–$100k 32.2%
$100k–$150k 16.3%
$150k–$200k 17.3%
$200k–$300k 14.0%
$300k–$500k 10.8%
$500k–$1M 1.5%
$1M+ 1.3%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$122,000
Median rent / month$707
Owner occupied74.9%
Renter occupied25.1%
Vacant20.9%
Single-family detached80.3%
Large apartment buildings5.2%
Mobile homes2.9%
Median rooms6.0
Avg household size (owned)2.27

Year built

Era%
2020 or later1.2%
2010–20193.0%
2000–20094.5%
1990–19998.0%
1980–19892.9%
1970–197914.0%
1960–196912.4%
1950–195914.8%
1940–19499.8%
1939 or earlier29.4%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)1.4%
1 bedroom8.9%
2 bedrooms35.1%
3 bedrooms34.7%
4 bedrooms17.6%
5+ bedrooms2.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle4.1%
1 vehicle33.9%
2 vehicles37.4%
3 or more24.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas54.8%
Electricity24.1%
Propane / LP gas13.3%
Fuel oil3.6%
Wood1.5%
No fuel used1.4%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family65553.0%
Cohabiting couple544.4%
Male householder, no spouse25420.5%
Female householder, no spouse27422.2%
Households with children under 1822918.5%
Households with seniors (65+)49039.6%
Average household size2.13

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married24.6%23.3%
Married63.1%54.9%
Separated0.1%0.0%
Widowed2.7%14.2%
Divorced9.5%7.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.6%
Some HS, no diploma 3.9%
HS graduate 39.5%
Some college, no degree 18.1%
Associate's degree 14.5%
Bachelor's degree 12.6%
Graduate / professional 8.8%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher93.4%
Bachelor's or higher21.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool265.2%
Kindergarten6412.7%
Elementary school23847.3%
High school8817.5%
College / grad school8717.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 39.2%
Retail trade 10.4%
Manufacturing 9.0%
Agriculture & mining 7.1%
Transportation & utilities 5.8%
Professional & management 5.7%
Other services 5.1%
Finance & real estate 5.0%
Construction 3.8%
Arts, food & hospitality 3.8%
Wholesale trade 3.1%
Public administration 1.5%
Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts36.2%
Service13.4%
Sales & office24.3%
Natural resources & construction9.2%
Production & transportation16.9%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector76.5%
Government15.4%
Self-employed8.1%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone84.2%
Carpool4.5%
Public transit2.0%
Walk3.6%
Work from home4.9%
Other means0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)15.2

Poverty

All people 6.8%
Under 18 years 1.9%
18 and over 8.0%
Married-couple families 4.6%
Female-led households 8.6%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security45.4%
Retirement income27.5%
Supplemental Security5.7%
Cash public assistance1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP8.1%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity36.5%
High blood pressure38.6%
High cholesterol35.0%
Diabetes12.2%
Heart disease9.6%
Stroke4.4%
Asthma9.1%
Arthritis31.3%
Kidney disease3.9%
Pulmonary disease8.1%
Cancer9.5%
Behavior / access%
Smoking18.8%
Binge drinking16.2%
No physical activity25.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep27.5%
Depression21.3%
Fair or poor health15.9%
Poor mental health12.9%
Poor physical health11.9%
No health insurance11.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)74.0%
Visited dentist64.4%
Cholesterol screening91.1%
Teeth loss14.1%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans1526.8%
Disability%
Any disability12.1%
Under 180.0%
18–64 years7.7%
65 and over30.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance69.7%
Public insurance46.9%
No insurance4.5%
Uninsured under 190.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only2,60795.1%
Spanish230.9%
Other Indo-European190.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander10.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)2,69498.3%
Born in same state2,68998.1%
Born in different state1,97171.9%
Foreign born50.2%
Naturalized citizen461.7%
Not a US citizen1532.6%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Polish72126.3%
Italian35112.8%
French1425.2%
English652.4%
AncestryCount%
Arab582.1%
German341.2%
Dutch230.8%
Irish70.3%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access45.1%
Internet access94.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56278

What city is ZIP code 56278 in?

ZIP code 56278 is primarily assigned to Ortonville, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56278 in?

ZIP code 56278 falls within Big Stone County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 56278 have an older population?

28% of residents in ZIP code 56278 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 56278 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 56278 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56278?

The median home value in ZIP code 56278 is $122,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 56278?

ZIP code 56278 has an estimated population of 2,740 residents, with a density of 20 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 56278 in?

ZIP code 56278 observes the CST timezone.

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