56581 ZIP Code — Shelly, MN

Norman County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56581 is located in Shelly, Minnesota, within Norman County. It covers approximately 39.75 square miles and serves a population of 262 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 56581

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 $108,700.

Median household income is $55,313. 47% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 32 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 16% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 56581 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

262

population

39.75

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56581 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56581

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56581. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Shelly	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56548 Halstad (6 mi) 56568 Nielsville (6.2 mi) 56510 Ada (11.7 mi) 56550 Hendrum (14.1 mi) 56517 Beltrami (14.2 mi) 58045 Hillsboro (15.2 mi) 56523 Climax (15.2 mi) 58218 Buxton (17 mi) 56574 Perley (18.1 mi) 56519 Borup (19.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	262
Population density	7 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	107

Geography
Land area	39.75 sq mi
Water area	0.11 sq mi
Latitude	47.4546
Longitude	-96.7259
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	218

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	61.3%	44.8%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	24.2%	33.3%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	14.5%	19.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.5%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

262

Population

People per sq mi

47.2

Median age

$55,313

Median household income

$32,383

Per capita income

$108,700

Median home value

Median monthly rent

100.0%

Home ownership

10.8%

Poverty rate

9.0%

Unemployment

188

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	42	16.0%
18 and over	220	84.0%
65 and over	64	24.4%
Median age	47.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 79.9%

Two or more races 8.6%

Black or African American 5.6%

Hispanic or Latino 2.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.2%

Other race 1.5%

Group	Count	%
White	214	79.9%
Two or more races	23	8.6%
Black or African American	15	5.6%
Hispanic or Latino	6	2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	2.2%
Other race	4	1.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	61.3%	44.8%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	24.2%	33.3%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	14.5%	19.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.5%	8.5%

Under $10k 5.5%

$10k–$15k 3.9%

$15k–$25k 16.4%

$25k–$35k 10.2%

$35k–$50k 5.5%

$50k–$75k 25.0%

$75k–$100k 3.9%

$100k–$150k 25.0%

$150k–$200k 4.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.5%
$10k–$15k	3.9%
$15k–$25k	16.4%
$25k–$35k	10.2%
$35k–$50k	5.5%
$50k–$75k	25.0%
$75k–$100k	3.9%
$100k–$150k	25.0%
$150k–$200k	4.7%
Median income	$55,313

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 18.8%

$50k–$100k 24.2%

$100k–$150k 25.8%

$150k–$200k 20.3%

$200k–$300k 3.9%

$300k–$500k 4.7%

$500k–$1M 0.8%

$1M+ 1.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$108,700
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	100.0%
Renter occupied	0.0%
Vacant	31.9%
Single-family detached	92.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	1.6%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.05

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.6%
2000–2009	3.7%
1990–1999	6.4%
1980–1989	4.8%
1970–1979	12.2%
1960–1969	6.9%
1950–1959	11.2%
1940–1949	5.9%
1939 or earlier	47.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	6.9%
2 bedrooms	24.5%
3 bedrooms	44.7%
4 bedrooms	20.2%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.7%
1 vehicle	23.4%
2 vehicles	29.7%
3 or more	42.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	31.3%
Propane / LP gas	53.9%
Fuel oil	12.5%
Wood	2.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	46	35.9%
Cohabiting couple	12	9.4%
Male householder, no spouse	39	30.5%
Female householder, no spouse	31	24.2%
Households with children under 18	32	25.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	61	47.7%
Average household size	2.05

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	39.0%	24.3%
Married	39.0%	43.0%
Separated	0.0%	0.9%
Widowed	6.5%	12.1%
Divorced	15.4%	19.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.5%

Some HS, no diploma 10.0%

HS graduate 36.0%

Some college, no degree 26.5%

Associate's degree 10.5%

Bachelor's degree 15.0%

Graduate / professional 1.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.5%
Bachelor's or higher	16.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	4	8.9%
Kindergarten	2	4.4%
Elementary school	19	42.2%
High school	10	22.2%
College / grad school	10	22.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 17.6%

Manufacturing 16.0%

Other services 12.2%

Agriculture & mining 11.5%

Wholesale trade 9.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.9%

Transportation & utilities 6.9%

Professional & management 6.1%

Public administration 5.3%

Construction 2.3%

Finance & real estate 1.5%

Retail trade 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.2%
Service	16.0%
Sales & office	14.5%
Natural resources & construction	11.5%
Production & transportation	32.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	65.6%
Government	16.0%
Self-employed	18.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.9%
Carpool	19.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.6%
Work from home	4.7%
Other means	1.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.2

Poverty

All people 10.8%

Under 18 years 9.7%

18 and over 10.9%

Married-couple families 8.7%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	46.9%
Retirement income	17.2%
Supplemental Security	7.8%
Cash public assistance	7.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	41.0%
High blood pressure	37.8%
High cholesterol	34.2%
Diabetes	12.7%
Heart disease	9.4%
Stroke	4.3%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	30.7%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	9.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.8%
Binge drinking	16.4%
No physical activity	26.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.4%
Depression	20.9%
Fair or poor health	15.7%
Poor mental health	12.8%
Poor physical health	11.6%
No health insurance	12.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.8%
Visited dentist	63.7%
Cholesterol screening	91.5%
Teeth loss	13.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	34	15.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.7%
Under 18	14.3%
18–64 years	11.5%
65 and over	18.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	64.9%
Public insurance	58.4%
No insurance	2.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	254	96.9%
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)	262	100.0%
Born in same state	262	100.0%
Born in different state	96	36.6%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	106	40.5%
Italian	34	13%
Dutch	12	4.6%
Arab	5	1.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	4	1.5%
French	4	1.5%
English	1	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	48.9%
Internet access	94.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56581

What city is ZIP code 56581 in?

ZIP code 56581 is primarily assigned to Shelly, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56581 in?

ZIP code 56581 falls within Norman County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 56581 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 56581 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 56581 have a large veteran population?

16% of civilians in ZIP code 56581 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56581?

The median home value in ZIP code 56581 is $108,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 56581?

ZIP code 56581 has an estimated population of 262 residents, with a density of 7 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 56581 in?

ZIP code 56581 observes the CST timezone.