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Minnesota ZIP Codes
Saint Louis County
Side Lake, MN
55781
55781 ZIP Code — Side Lake, MN
Saint Louis County, Minnesota
ZIP code 55781 is located in
Side Lake ,
Minnesota ,
within Saint Louis County .
It covers approximately 81.43 square miles and serves a population of
822 residents.
This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone,
served by area code 218 .
About ZIP code 55781
The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $339,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 95%, well above the national average.
The gap between median ($72,500) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 60% 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. An above-average commute of 35 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 42% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
Overall, ZIP code 55781 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.
55781 ZIP code map
View map of 55781
Cities in ZIP code 55781
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 55781. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
Nearby ZIP codes
Demographics
updated 05/2026
Population
Total population
822
Population density
10 / sq mi
State FIPS
27
County FIPS
137
Geography
Land area
81.43 sq mi
Water area
5.28 sq mi
Latitude
47.6506
Longitude
-93.0079
Timezone
Central (CT)
Area code
218
Economics
updated 05/2026
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
38.3%
44.3%
33.6%
$50k – $100k
32.8%
31.0%
31.5%
$100k – $200k
25.4%
20.5%
26.5%
Over $200k
3.5%
4.1%
8.5%
Demographics & statistics
$72,500
Median household income
$339,000
Median home value
$1,313
Median monthly rent
41.6%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Age summary
Group Count % Under 18 130 15.8% 18 and over 692 84.2% 65 and over 283 34.4% Median age 55.1 years
Race & ethnicity
Black or African American
0.1%
Group Count % White 799 96.3% Two or more races 18 2.2% Hispanic or Latino 8 1% Other race 3 0.4% Black or African American 1 0.1% Asian 1 0.1%
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
38.3%
44.3%
33.6%
$50k – $100k
32.8%
31.0%
31.5%
$100k – $200k
25.4%
20.5%
26.5%
Over $200k
3.5%
4.1%
8.5%
Range % of households Under $10k 3.1% $10k–$15k 0.3% $15k–$25k 8.2% $25k–$35k 6.3% $35k–$50k 18.6% $50k–$75k 14.2% $75k–$100k 13.8% $100k–$150k 13.8% $150k–$200k 12.6% $200k+ 9.1% Median income $72,500
Housing
Housing overview
Metric Value Median home value $339,000 Median rent / month $1,313 Owner occupied 94.7% Renter occupied 5.3% Vacant 62.6% Single-family detached 96.9% Large apartment buildings 0.0% Mobile homes 2.8% Median rooms 5.1 Avg household size (owned) 2.61
Year built
Era % 2020 or later 0.1% 2010–2019 4.2% 2000–2009 14.2% 1990–1999 16.8% 1980–1989 13.5% 1970–1979 15.5% 1960–1969 6.1% 1950–1959 14.7% 1940–1949 5.6% 1939 or earlier 9.1%
Bedrooms
Size % of units No bedroom (studio) 7.8% 1 bedroom 5.9% 2 bedrooms 39.3% 3 bedrooms 32.9% 4 bedrooms 12.9% 5+ bedrooms 1.2%
Vehicles per household
Vehicles % of households No vehicle 0.9% 1 vehicle 11.3% 2 vehicles 47.2% 3 or more 40.6%
Heating fuel
Fuel type % Utility gas 0.6% Electricity 47.8% Propane / LP gas 37.1% Fuel oil 1.3% Wood 12.9% No fuel used 0.3%
Households & families
Household type Count % Married-couple family 218 68.6% Cohabiting couple 16 5.0% Male householder, no spouse 48 15.1% Female householder, no spouse 36 11.3% Households with children under 18 75 23.6% Households with seniors (65+) 188 59.1% Average household size 2.58
Marital status
Status Male Female Never married 19.0% 28.4% Married 64.7% 62.3% Separated 0.0% 0.0% Widowed 4.1% 6.4% Divorced 12.1% 2.9%
Education
Some college, no degree
18.9%
Graduate / professional
11.5%
Metric % HS diploma or higher 97.8% Bachelor's or higher 41.6%
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
Type Count % Nursery / preschool 10 6.1% Kindergarten 1 0.6% Elementary school 49 29.7% High school 86 52.1% College / grad school 19 11.5%
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
24.7%
Agriculture & mining
14.2%
Arts, food & hospitality
13.5%
Professional & management
4.4%
Public administration
4.4%
Transportation & utilities
3.4%
Finance & real estate
3.0%
Occupation
Category % Management, business & arts 52.7% Service 11.1% Sales & office 14.9% Natural resources & construction 10.1% Production & transportation 11.1%
Employment type
Type % Private sector 78.7% Government 15.9% Self-employed 4.7% Unpaid family workers 0.7%
Commute
Method % Drive alone 85.0% Carpool 2.3% Public transit 0.8% Walk 1.1% Work from home 10.9% Other means 0.0% Avg commute (minutes) 35.3
Poverty
Married-couple families
7.8%
Female-led households
0.0%
Income support
Source % of households Social Security 59.7% Retirement income 42.1% Supplemental Security 11.6% Cash public assistance 1.3% Food stamps / SNAP 1.9%
Health indicators
Condition % Obesity 32.9% High blood pressure 37.8% High cholesterol 37.4% Diabetes 12.1% Heart disease 8.4% Stroke 3.7% Asthma 9.1% Arthritis 33.4% Kidney disease 3.5% Pulmonary disease 7.4% Cancer 9.4%
Behavior / access % Smoking 18.9% Binge drinking 17.1% No physical activity 21.6% Less than 7 hrs sleep 30.0% Depression 22.6% Fair or poor health 13.6% Poor mental health 12.1% Poor physical health 11.3% No health insurance 8.3% Visited doctor (checkup) 73.5% Visited dentist 67.8% Cholesterol screening 94.1% Teeth loss 9.8%
Veterans & disability
Veterans Count % Civilian veterans 56 8.1%
Disability % Any disability 11.9% Under 18 6.2% 18–64 years 7.8% 65 and over 20.5%
Health insurance coverage
Type % Private insurance 86.1% Public insurance 40.5% No insurance 1.8% Uninsured under 19 0.0%
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
Language Count % English only 794 96.6% Spanish 3 0.4% Other Indo-European 0 0.0% Asian & Pacific Islander 2 0.3% Other languages 1 0.1%
Place of birth & citizenship
Origin Count % Native born (US) 821 99.9% Born in same state 816 99.3% Born in different state 721 87.7% Foreign born 5 0.6% Naturalized citizen 1 0.1% Not a US citizen 1 100.0%
Ancestry
Ancestry Count % Polish 67 8.2% Italian 66 8% French 43 5.2% Arab 24 2.9%
Ancestry Count % Irish 8 1% English 8 1% German 3 0.4% Norwegian 2 0.2%
Technology access
Metric % of households Computer access 38.7% Internet access 95.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 55781
What city is ZIP code 55781 in?
ZIP code 55781 is primarily assigned to Side Lake, Minnesota.
What county is ZIP code 55781 in?
ZIP code 55781 falls within Saint Louis County, Minnesota.
Does ZIP code 55781 have a large retiree population?
60% of households in ZIP code 55781 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.
Does ZIP code 55781 have an older population?
34% of residents in ZIP code 55781 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.
Is ZIP code 55781 mostly owner-occupied?
95% of occupied units in ZIP code 55781 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 55781?
The median home value in ZIP code 55781 is $339,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 55781 in?
ZIP code 55781 observes the CST timezone.
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