56479 ZIP Code — Staples, MN

Wadena County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56479 is located in Staples, Minnesota, within Wadena County. It covers approximately 199.20 square miles and serves a population of 4,891 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 56479

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 $161,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $56,278. 43% 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 23 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (20%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 56479 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

4,891

population

199.20

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56479 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56479

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56479. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Staples	Acceptable
Staples	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56434 Aldrich (6.2 mi) 56466 Motley (7.3 mi) 56481 Verndale (8.6 mi) 56453 Hewitt (14.1 mi) 56437 Bertha (15.3 mi) 56440 Clarissa (15.6 mi) 56473 Pillager (16 mi) 56443 Cushing (17.9 mi) 56482 Wadena (18 mi) 56438 Browerville (19.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,891
Population density	25 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	159

Geography
Land area	199.20 sq mi
Water area	3.58 sq mi
Latitude	46.3906
Longitude	-94.7997
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	53.8%	51.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	29.2%	31.8%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	16.3%	15.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	0.8%	1.5%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

4,891

Population

People per sq mi

44.0

Median age

$56,278

Median household income

$27,965

Per capita income

$161,300

Median home value

$873

Median monthly rent

80.2%

Home ownership

16.0%

Poverty rate

3.6%

Unemployment

1,944

Housing units

21.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

166

Under 5

150

141

5–9

127

194

10–14

176

196

15–19

178

133

20–24

121

205

25–34

185

274

35–44

248

231

45–54

209

175

55–59

158

220

60–64

199

329

65–74

298

193

75–84

175

110

85+

100

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,199	24.5%
18 and over	3,692	75.5%
65 and over	1,205	24.6%
Median age	44.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.9%

Two or more races 7%

Hispanic or Latino 6.1%

Other race 1%

Black or African American 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	4,421	84.9%
Two or more races	366	7%
Hispanic or Latino	315	6.1%
Other race	51	1%
Black or African American	29	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	21	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.8%	51.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	29.2%	31.8%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	16.3%	15.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	0.8%	1.5%	8.5%

Under $10k 4.8%

$10k–$15k 2.3%

$15k–$25k 14.8%

$25k–$35k 9.2%

$35k–$50k 11.9%

$50k–$75k 19.0%

$75k–$100k 18.3%

$100k–$150k 10.7%

$150k–$200k 5.4%

$200k+ 3.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.8%
$10k–$15k	2.3%
$15k–$25k	14.8%
$25k–$35k	9.2%
$35k–$50k	11.9%
$50k–$75k	19.0%
$75k–$100k	18.3%
$100k–$150k	10.7%
$150k–$200k	5.4%
$200k+	3.7%
Median income	$56,278

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.1%

$50k–$100k 14.7%

$100k–$150k 23.0%

$150k–$200k 15.8%

$200k–$300k 24.5%

$300k–$500k 11.2%

$500k–$1M 2.4%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$161,300
Median rent / month	$873
Owner occupied	80.2%
Renter occupied	19.8%
Vacant	18.6%
Single-family detached	77.3%
Large apartment buildings	5.8%
Mobile homes	8.4%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.52

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	6.9%
2000–2009	14.7%
1990–1999	11.0%
1980–1989	5.2%
1970–1979	17.4%
1960–1969	5.8%
1950–1959	10.1%
1940–1949	7.5%
1939 or earlier	21.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.7%
1 bedroom	7.6%
2 bedrooms	24.0%
3 bedrooms	39.2%
4 bedrooms	18.7%
5+ bedrooms	7.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.1%
1 vehicle	23.1%
2 vehicles	37.7%
3 or more	33.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	36.2%
Electricity	24.0%
Propane / LP gas	23.9%
Fuel oil	3.3%
Wood	11.7%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	950	50.3%
Cohabiting couple	135	7.2%
Male householder, no spouse	385	20.4%
Female householder, no spouse	417	22.1%
Households with children under 18	565	29.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	776	41.1%
Average household size	2.51

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.7%	22.7%
Married	54.3%	51.9%
Separated	1.4%	2.4%
Widowed	4.2%	12.0%
Divorced	8.3%	11.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.0%

Some HS, no diploma 5.4%

HS graduate 33.9%

Some college, no degree 26.6%

Associate's degree 10.6%

Bachelor's degree 13.8%

Graduate / professional 7.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.6%
Bachelor's or higher	21.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	61	5.9%
Kindergarten	28	2.7%
Elementary school	548	53.0%
High school	273	26.4%
College / grad school	124	12.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 30.4%

Manufacturing 15.9%

Retail trade 8.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.3%

Agriculture & mining 6.5%

Wholesale trade 5.7%

Transportation & utilities 5.1%

Construction 4.8%

Professional & management 4.6%

Other services 3.6%

Public administration 3.5%

Finance & real estate 2.4%

Information 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.8%
Service	18.6%
Sales & office	14.7%
Natural resources & construction	11.2%
Production & transportation	23.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.2%
Government	14.4%
Self-employed	6.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.9%
Carpool	10.9%
Public transit	1.1%
Walk	2.5%
Work from home	6.0%
Other means	1.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.3

Poverty

All people 16.0%

Under 18 years 25.4%

18 and over 12.8%

Married-couple families 6.3%

Female-led households 56.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.1%
Retirement income	21.4%
Supplemental Security	6.1%
Cash public assistance	6.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.6%
High blood pressure	33.1%
High cholesterol	31.8%
Diabetes	10.9%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	27.4%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	7.3%
Cancer	7.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.2%
Binge drinking	18.4%
No physical activity	24.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.8%
Depression	23.2%
Fair or poor health	15.1%
Poor mental health	14.5%
Poor physical health	11.3%
No health insurance	12.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.9%
Visited dentist	59.2%
Cholesterol screening	88.4%
Teeth loss	14.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	429	11.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.4%
Under 18	5.8%
18–64 years	15.5%
65 and over	29.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	64.8%
Public insurance	49.6%
No insurance	3.9%
Uninsured under 19	1.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,575	93.5%
Spanish	9	0.2%
Other Indo-European	5	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,854	99.2%
Born in same state	4,825	98.7%
Born in different state	3,932	80.4%
Foreign born	29	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	37	0.8%
Not a US citizen	11	29.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	728	14.9%
Italian	475	9.7%
French	299	6.1%
Arab	194	4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	82	1.7%
German	57	1.2%
English	27	0.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.6%
Internet access	87.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56479

What city is ZIP code 56479 in?

ZIP code 56479 is primarily assigned to Staples, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56479 in?

ZIP code 56479 falls within Todd County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 56479 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 56479 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 56479?

16% of residents in ZIP code 56479 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 56479 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 56479 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 56479 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 56479 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 56479 in?

ZIP code 56479 observes the CST timezone.