56362 ZIP Code — Paynesville, MN

Stearns County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56362 is located in Paynesville, Minnesota, within Stearns County. It covers approximately 150.08 square miles and serves a population of 5,659 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 320.

About ZIP code 56362

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $238,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $78,033. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 40% 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 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 56362 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

5,659

population

150.08

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56362 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56362

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56362. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Paynesville	Acceptable
Paynesville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

55329 Eden Valley (7.7 mi) 56368 Richmond (9.1 mi) 56273 New London (12.8 mi) 56312 Belgrade (13.4 mi) 55389 Watkins (14.3 mi) 56320 Cold Spring (15.2 mi) 56320 Cold Spring (15.2 mi) 56288 Spicer (16.1 mi) 56243 Grove City (17.5 mi) 56352 Melrose (17.6 mi) 56209 Atwater (17.9 mi) 56331 Freeport (17.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,659
Population density	38 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	145

Geography
Land area	150.08 sq mi
Water area	8.10 sq mi
Latitude	45.3937
Longitude	-94.7060
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	34.1%	38.8%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	37.7%	33.9%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	23.8%	22.7%	26.5%
Over $200k	4.4%	4.6%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

5,659

Population

People per sq mi

46.7

Median age

$78,033

Median household income

$40,540

Per capita income

$238,600

Median home value

$725

Median monthly rent

83.3%

Home ownership

4.6%

Poverty rate

1.7%

Unemployment

2,576

Housing units

27.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

164

Under 5

148

151

5–9

135

152

10–14

137

273

15–19

244

138

20–24

124

253

25–34

226

303

35–44

272

357

45–54

320

254

55–59

227

215

60–64

193

401

65–74

360

216

75–84

194

106

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,188	21.0%
18 and over	4,471	79.0%
65 and over	1,373	24.3%
Median age	46.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.1%

Two or more races 3%

Hispanic or Latino 2.3%

Black or African American 1.1%

Other race 1%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	5,333	92.1%
Two or more races	174	3%
Hispanic or Latino	131	2.3%
Black or African American	66	1.1%
Other race	57	1%
Asian	16	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	34.1%	38.8%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	37.7%	33.9%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	23.8%	22.7%	26.5%
Over $200k	4.4%	4.6%	8.5%

Under $10k 1.4%

$10k–$15k 4.9%

$15k–$25k 6.3%

$25k–$35k 7.0%

$35k–$50k 9.3%

$50k–$75k 18.8%

$75k–$100k 15.6%

$100k–$150k 20.7%

$150k–$200k 10.7%

$200k+ 5.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.4%
$10k–$15k	4.9%
$15k–$25k	6.3%
$25k–$35k	7.0%
$35k–$50k	9.3%
$50k–$75k	18.8%
$75k–$100k	15.6%
$100k–$150k	20.7%
$150k–$200k	10.7%
$200k+	5.4%
Median income	$78,033

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.9%

$50k–$100k 5.2%

$100k–$150k 16.1%

$150k–$200k 15.9%

$200k–$300k 29.7%

$300k–$500k 22.0%

$500k–$1M 7.2%

$1M+ 2.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$238,600
Median rent / month	$725
Owner occupied	83.3%
Renter occupied	16.7%
Vacant	23.9%
Single-family detached	83.9%
Large apartment buildings	4.0%
Mobile homes	2.3%
Median rooms	6.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.56

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	5.2%
2000–2009	14.2%
1990–1999	11.3%
1980–1989	8.5%
1970–1979	20.1%
1960–1969	9.3%
1950–1959	8.9%
1940–1949	6.0%
1939 or earlier	15.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	8.6%
2 bedrooms	22.5%
3 bedrooms	34.3%
4 bedrooms	26.6%
5+ bedrooms	7.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.7%
1 vehicle	24.4%
2 vehicles	40.2%
3 or more	31.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	45.6%
Electricity	15.8%
Propane / LP gas	29.6%
Fuel oil	2.1%
Wood	4.4%
No fuel used	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,360	60.6%
Cohabiting couple	174	7.8%
Male householder, no spouse	327	14.6%
Female householder, no spouse	383	17.1%
Households with children under 18	606	27.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	874	38.9%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.9%	22.2%
Married	58.8%	58.7%
Separated	0.1%	0.3%
Widowed	3.5%	8.7%
Divorced	7.8%	10.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.3%

Some HS, no diploma 2.5%

HS graduate 33.7%

Some college, no degree 18.6%

Associate's degree 14.7%

Bachelor's degree 18.8%

Graduate / professional 8.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.3%
Bachelor's or higher	27.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	58	4.5%
Kindergarten	47	3.6%
Elementary school	448	34.7%
High school	428	33.2%
College / grad school	310	24.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.4%

Manufacturing 16.2%

Retail trade 10.7%

Construction 9.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.4%

Transportation & utilities 6.2%

Other services 5.7%

Agriculture & mining 5.1%

Professional & management 4.9%

Finance & real estate 3.7%

Public administration 3.3%

Wholesale trade 2.6%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.0%
Service	15.3%
Sales & office	21.2%
Natural resources & construction	11.9%
Production & transportation	19.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.1%
Government	12.4%
Self-employed	10.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.6%
Carpool	5.6%
Public transit	2.6%
Walk	2.5%
Work from home	11.5%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.9

Poverty

All people 4.6%

Under 18 years 3.4%

18 and over 4.9%

Married-couple families 1.4%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.3%
Retirement income	26.1%
Supplemental Security	2.9%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.0%
High blood pressure	32.9%
High cholesterol	32.4%
Diabetes	10.2%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	8.6%
Arthritis	27.0%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	6.7%
Cancer	8.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.9%
Binge drinking	18.2%
No physical activity	23.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.8%
Depression	22.0%
Fair or poor health	13.5%
Poor mental health	13.0%
Poor physical health	10.4%
No health insurance	11.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.7%
Visited dentist	69.2%
Cholesterol screening	89.6%
Teeth loss	12.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	372	8.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.6%
Under 18	1.6%
18–64 years	6.8%
65 and over	23.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	81.9%
Public insurance	32.5%
No insurance	5.4%
Uninsured under 19	7.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,347	94.5%
Spanish	22	0.4%
Other Indo-European	15	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	7	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,593	98.8%
Born in same state	5,588	98.7%
Born in different state	4,859	85.9%
Foreign born	5	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	66	1.2%
Not a US citizen	20	30.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	638	11.3%
Italian	484	8.6%
French	219	3.9%
Arab	168	3%
English	36	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	20	0.4%
Norwegian	9	0.2%
Dutch	9	0.2%
Irish	3	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.7%
Internet access	89.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56362

What city is ZIP code 56362 in?

ZIP code 56362 is primarily assigned to Paynesville, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56362 in?

ZIP code 56362 falls within Stearns County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 56362 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 56362 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 56362 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 56362 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 56362?

ZIP code 56362 has an estimated population of 5,659 residents, with a density of 38 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 56362?

The median household income in ZIP code 56362 is $78,033, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 56362 in?

ZIP code 56362 observes the CST timezone.