56170 ZIP Code — Ruthton, MN

Pipestone County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56170 is located in Ruthton, Minnesota, within Pipestone County. It covers approximately 62.61 square miles and serves a population of 502 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 507.

About ZIP code 56170

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 $89,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $52,750. 30% 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 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 56170 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

502

population

62.61

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56170 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56170

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56170. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ruthton	Acceptable
Ruthton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56178 Tyler (7.4 mi) 56164 Pipestone (8.4 mi) 56149 Lake Benton (8.9 mi) 56186 Woodstock (13.2 mi) 56169 Russell (15 mi) 56113 Arco (15.2 mi) 56115 Balaton (15.4 mi) 57026 Elkton (18 mi) 56151 Lake Wilson (18.1 mi) 56151 Lake Wilson (18.1 mi) 56157 Lynd (18.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	502
Population density	8 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	117

Geography
Land area	62.61 sq mi
Water area	0.73 sq mi
Latitude	44.1967
Longitude	-96.1958
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	42.1%	46.5%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	41.3%	31.6%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	13.9%	17.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	2.8%	4.6%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

502

Population

People per sq mi

49.8

Median age

$52,750

Median household income

$33,715

Per capita income

$89,200

Median home value

$821

Median monthly rent

86.1%

Home ownership

11.5%

Poverty rate

4.4%

Unemployment

228

Housing units

13.1%

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	105	20.9%
18 and over	397	79.1%
65 and over	109	21.7%
Median age	49.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 83.1%

Hispanic or Latino 7.9%

Two or more races 4.6%

Other race 4.4%

Group	Count	%
White	453	83.1%
Hispanic or Latino	43	7.9%
Two or more races	25	4.6%
Other race	24	4.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.1%	46.5%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	41.3%	31.6%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	13.9%	17.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	2.8%	4.6%	8.5%

Under $10k 9.7%

$10k–$15k 2.1%

$15k–$25k 7.6%

$25k–$35k 12.2%

$35k–$50k 16.0%

$50k–$75k 13.1%

$75k–$100k 18.1%

$100k–$150k 13.1%

$150k–$200k 2.5%

$200k+ 5.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.7%
$10k–$15k	2.1%
$15k–$25k	7.6%
$25k–$35k	12.2%
$35k–$50k	16.0%
$50k–$75k	13.1%
$75k–$100k	18.1%
$100k–$150k	13.1%
$150k–$200k	2.5%
$200k+	5.5%
Median income	$52,750

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 28.4%

$50k–$100k 23.5%

$100k–$150k 9.3%

$150k–$200k 6.4%

$200k–$300k 26.5%

$300k–$500k 3.4%

$500k–$1M 2.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$89,200
Median rent / month	$821
Owner occupied	86.1%
Renter occupied	13.9%
Vacant	9.2%
Single-family detached	94.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	3.8%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.17

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.9%
2000–2009	3.4%
1990–1999	6.9%
1980–1989	4.2%
1970–1979	3.4%
1960–1969	6.1%
1950–1959	13.0%
1940–1949	6.1%
1939 or earlier	54.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	1.1%
2 bedrooms	21.5%
3 bedrooms	50.2%
4 bedrooms	23.0%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.8%
1 vehicle	21.1%
2 vehicles	37.6%
3 or more	37.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.1%
Electricity	5.9%
Propane / LP gas	74.3%
Fuel oil	9.3%
Wood	0.8%
No fuel used	2.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	118	49.8%
Cohabiting couple	11	4.6%
Male householder, no spouse	61	25.7%
Female householder, no spouse	47	19.8%
Households with children under 18	55	23.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	68	28.7%
Average household size	2.12

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.1%	20.4%
Married	53.2%	62.3%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	4.1%	4.7%
Divorced	7.7%	12.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.6%

Some HS, no diploma 7.8%

HS graduate 39.0%

Some college, no degree 21.2%

Associate's degree 18.4%

Bachelor's degree 8.4%

Graduate / professional 4.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.6%
Bachelor's or higher	13.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	3	3.4%
Kindergarten	2	2.2%
Elementary school	63	70.8%
High school	13	14.6%
College / grad school	8	9.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.9%

Construction 13.4%

Manufacturing 11.3%

Transportation & utilities 10.9%

Retail trade 10.5%

Agriculture & mining 9.6%

Finance & real estate 5.4%

Professional & management 4.2%

Other services 2.5%

Information 2.1%

Public administration 2.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 1.7%

Wholesale trade 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.0%
Service	15.9%
Sales & office	16.7%
Natural resources & construction	18.0%
Production & transportation	21.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.7%
Government	10.0%
Self-employed	11.7%
Unpaid family workers	2.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.9%
Carpool	13.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	10.5%
Other means	0.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.2

Poverty

All people 11.5%

Under 18 years 14.4%

18 and over 10.8%

Married-couple families 2.5%

Female-led households 30.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.4%
Retirement income	11.0%
Supplemental Security	4.6%
Cash public assistance	4.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.5%
High blood pressure	29.5%
High cholesterol	29.8%
Diabetes	9.2%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	2.9%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	23.5%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	5.9%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.9%
Binge drinking	20.1%
No physical activity	21.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.7%
Depression	21.8%
Fair or poor health	12.0%
Poor mental health	13.6%
Poor physical health	9.6%
No health insurance	11.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.3%
Visited dentist	65.6%
Cholesterol screening	89.5%
Teeth loss	11.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	18	4.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.1%
Under 18	3.8%
18–64 years	12.5%
65 and over	33.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.9%
Public insurance	38.0%
No insurance	11.8%
Uninsured under 19	9.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	488	97.2%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	502	100.0%
Born in same state	499	99.4%
Born in different state	372	74.1%
Foreign born	3	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
English	94	18.7%
Polish	62	12.4%
Dutch	28	5.6%
Arab	23	4.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	21	4.2%
French	11	2.2%
German	6	1.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	47.2%
Internet access	91.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56170

What city is ZIP code 56170 in?

ZIP code 56170 is primarily assigned to Ruthton, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56170 in?

ZIP code 56170 falls within Pipestone County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 56170 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 56170 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 56170?

13% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56170?

The median home value in ZIP code 56170 is $89,200.

What is the population of ZIP code 56170?

ZIP code 56170 has an estimated population of 502 residents, with a density of 8 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 56170 in?

ZIP code 56170 observes the CST timezone.