56481 ZIP Code — Verndale, MN

Wadena County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56481 is located in Verndale, Minnesota, within Wadena County. It covers approximately 141.11 square miles and serves a population of 2,375 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 56481

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 $161,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 84%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $63,977. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 38% 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.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 56481 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,375

population

141.11

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56481 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56481

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56481. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Verndale	Acceptable
Verndale	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56434 Aldrich (5.9 mi) 56479 Staples (8.6 mi) 56482 Wadena (10 mi) 56453 Hewitt (11.8 mi) 56477 Sebeka (13 mi) 56518 Bluffton (13.4 mi) 56466 Motley (15.1 mi) 56437 Bertha (16.1 mi) 56527 Deer Creek (18.5 mi) 56440 Clarissa (19.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,375
Population density	17 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	159

Geography
Land area	141.11 sq mi
Water area	0.10 sq mi
Latitude	46.4635
Longitude	-94.9469
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	42.5%	51.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	39.2%	31.8%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	16.2%	15.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	2.1%	1.5%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

2,375

Population

People per sq mi

38.2

Median age

$63,977

Median household income

$29,008

Per capita income

$161,400

Median home value

$625

Median monthly rent

84.4%

Home ownership

6.6%

Poverty rate

6.5%

Unemployment

945

Housing units

15.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

116

5–9

115

10–14

15–19

20–24

164

25–34

161

135

35–44

134

112

45–54

110

55–59

60–64

140

65–74

138

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	685	28.8%
18 and over	1,690	71.2%
65 and over	461	19.4%
Median age	38.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 81.4%

Two or more races 9.2%

Hispanic or Latino 8.3%

Asian 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	2,109	81.4%
Two or more races	238	9.2%
Hispanic or Latino	216	8.3%
Asian	16	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.3%
Other race	4	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.5%	51.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	39.2%	31.8%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	16.2%	15.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	2.1%	1.5%	8.5%

Under $10k 2.9%

$10k–$15k 1.9%

$15k–$25k 10.9%

$25k–$35k 12.2%

$35k–$50k 14.2%

$50k–$75k 16.2%

$75k–$100k 20.4%

$100k–$150k 15.8%

$150k–$200k 4.0%

$200k+ 1.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.9%
$10k–$15k	1.9%
$15k–$25k	10.9%
$25k–$35k	12.2%
$35k–$50k	14.2%
$50k–$75k	16.2%
$75k–$100k	20.4%
$100k–$150k	15.8%
$150k–$200k	4.0%
$200k+	1.5%
Median income	$63,977

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.7%

$50k–$100k 18.2%

$100k–$150k 15.8%

$150k–$200k 17.9%

$200k–$300k 20.0%

$300k–$500k 14.1%

$500k–$1M 2.6%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$161,400
Median rent / month	$625
Owner occupied	84.4%
Renter occupied	15.6%
Vacant	13.0%
Single-family detached	84.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	11.1%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.59

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.6%
2000–2009	14.3%
1990–1999	12.1%
1980–1989	11.7%
1970–1979	15.7%
1960–1969	6.3%
1950–1959	6.7%
1940–1949	5.7%
1939 or earlier	22.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	6.5%
2 bedrooms	24.9%
3 bedrooms	38.0%
4 bedrooms	25.5%
5+ bedrooms	5.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.7%
1 vehicle	20.2%
2 vehicles	42.0%
3 or more	35.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	19.0%
Electricity	24.9%
Propane / LP gas	26.9%
Fuel oil	7.6%
Wood	19.8%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	492	51.7%
Cohabiting couple	66	6.9%
Male householder, no spouse	238	25.0%
Female householder, no spouse	155	16.3%
Households with children under 18	291	30.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	352	37.0%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.8%	19.6%
Married	53.7%	59.3%
Separated	0.3%	0.2%
Widowed	6.0%	10.2%
Divorced	9.2%	10.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.3%

Some HS, no diploma 4.9%

HS graduate 35.9%

Some college, no degree 24.0%

Associate's degree 17.1%

Bachelor's degree 13.2%

Graduate / professional 2.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.8%
Bachelor's or higher	15.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	78	12.5%
Kindergarten	23	3.7%
Elementary school	316	50.8%
High school	157	25.2%
College / grad school	48	7.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.8%

Manufacturing 19.7%

Retail trade 10.5%

Agriculture & mining 9.1%

Transportation & utilities 8.1%

Construction 6.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.6%

Other services 6.0%

Professional & management 4.1%

Wholesale trade 2.9%

Finance & real estate 2.9%

Public administration 1.8%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	34.5%
Service	13.1%
Sales & office	14.8%
Natural resources & construction	12.8%
Production & transportation	24.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.6%
Government	10.4%
Self-employed	10.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.2%
Carpool	9.1%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	2.6%
Work from home	6.5%
Other means	2.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.6

Poverty

All people 6.6%

Under 18 years 7.1%

18 and over 6.4%

Married-couple families 2.0%

Female-led households 23.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.2%
Retirement income	23.8%
Supplemental Security	5.6%
Cash public assistance	6.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.5%
High blood pressure	32.7%
High cholesterol	31.3%
Diabetes	10.6%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	25.8%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.0%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.5%
Binge drinking	19.1%
No physical activity	22.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.5%
Depression	23.4%
Fair or poor health	14.2%
Poor mental health	14.4%
Poor physical health	10.9%
No health insurance	12.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.7%
Visited dentist	62.0%
Cholesterol screening	88.6%
Teeth loss	13.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	144	8.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.4%
Under 18	2.3%
18–64 years	9.7%
65 and over	24.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.4%
Public insurance	45.7%
No insurance	8.3%
Uninsured under 19	6.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,224	93.6%
Spanish	13	0.6%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	13	0.6%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,352	99.0%
Born in same state	2,347	98.8%
Born in different state	2,059	86.7%
Foreign born	5	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	23	1.0%
Not a US citizen	3	13.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	378	15.9%
Italian	182	7.7%
Arab	125	5.3%
French	89	3.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	22	0.9%
English	22	0.9%
Dutch	19	0.8%
Irish	1	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.0%
Internet access	89.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56481

What city is ZIP code 56481 in?

ZIP code 56481 is primarily assigned to Verndale, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56481 in?

ZIP code 56481 falls within Wadena County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 56481 mostly owner-occupied?

84% of occupied units in ZIP code 56481 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 56481 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 56481 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56481?

The median home value in ZIP code 56481 is $161,400.

What is the population of ZIP code 56481?

ZIP code 56481 has an estimated population of 2,375 residents, with a density of 17 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 56481 in?

ZIP code 56481 observes the CST timezone.