56482 ZIP Code — Wadena, MN

Wadena County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56482 is located in Wadena, Minnesota, within Wadena County. It covers approximately 136.24 square miles and serves a population of 7,456 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 218.

About ZIP code 56482

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $163,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.

Median household income is $54,310. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 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 17 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% 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 56482 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

7,456

population

136.24

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56482 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56482

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56482. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wadena	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

56518 Bluffton (3.5 mi) 56481 Verndale (10 mi) 56527 Deer Creek (10.3 mi) 56453 Hewitt (11.7 mi) 56567 New York Mills (12.3 mi) 56477 Sebeka (12.6 mi) 56434 Aldrich (12.7 mi) 56437 Bertha (17.6 mi) 56551 Henning (17.7 mi) 56479 Staples (18 mi) 56571 Ottertail (18.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,456
Population density	55 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	159

Geography
Land area	136.24 sq mi
Water area	0.12 sq mi
Latitude	46.4780
Longitude	-95.1550
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	55.7%	51.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	29.2%	31.8%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	13.4%	15.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	1.7%	1.5%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

7,456

Population

People per sq mi

39.0

Median age

$54,310

Median household income

$28,486

Per capita income

$163,500

Median home value

$660

Median monthly rent

64.9%

Home ownership

13.9%

Poverty rate

7.8%

Unemployment

2,266

Housing units

17.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

239

Under 5

236

288

5–9

284

256

10–14

253

313

15–19

308

205

20–24

202

425

25–34

420

365

35–44

359

501

45–54

495

186

55–59

184

305

60–64

301

375

65–74

369

194

75–84

191

102

85+

100

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,931	25.9%
18 and over	5,525	74.1%
65 and over	1,331	17.9%
Median age	39.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.4%

Two or more races 5.1%

Hispanic or Latino 2.7%

Other race 0.8%

Black or African American 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	6,928	90.4%
Two or more races	392	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	204	2.7%
Other race	61	0.8%
Black or African American	46	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	26	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.7%	51.3%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	29.2%	31.8%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	13.4%	15.4%	26.5%
Over $200k	1.7%	1.5%	8.5%

Under $10k 3.3%

$10k–$15k 4.7%

$15k–$25k 18.3%

$25k–$35k 7.0%

$35k–$50k 10.6%

$50k–$75k 19.3%

$75k–$100k 14.3%

$100k–$150k 17.1%

$150k–$200k 2.7%

$200k+ 2.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.3%
$10k–$15k	4.7%
$15k–$25k	18.3%
$25k–$35k	7.0%
$35k–$50k	10.6%
$50k–$75k	19.3%
$75k–$100k	14.3%
$100k–$150k	17.1%
$150k–$200k	2.7%
$200k+	2.6%
Median income	$54,310

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.3%

$50k–$100k 19.9%

$100k–$150k 19.5%

$150k–$200k 22.9%

$200k–$300k 17.7%

$300k–$500k 14.8%

$500k–$1M 2.7%

$1M+ 0.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$163,500
Median rent / month	$660
Owner occupied	64.9%
Renter occupied	35.1%
Vacant	8.6%
Single-family detached	69.4%
Large apartment buildings	10.9%
Mobile homes	2.6%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.67

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.9%
2010–2019	10.1%
2000–2009	8.0%
1990–1999	9.6%
1980–1989	7.7%
1970–1979	14.5%
1960–1969	11.9%
1950–1959	12.2%
1940–1949	3.3%
1939 or earlier	21.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	12.8%
1 bedroom	9.4%
2 bedrooms	14.3%
3 bedrooms	36.4%
4 bedrooms	18.5%
5+ bedrooms	8.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	13.3%
1 vehicle	26.1%
2 vehicles	27.7%
3 or more	33.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	39.1%
Electricity	32.0%
Propane / LP gas	14.1%
Fuel oil	5.3%
Wood	7.3%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,458	47.8%
Cohabiting couple	140	4.6%
Male householder, no spouse	648	21.3%
Female householder, no spouse	803	26.3%
Households with children under 18	963	31.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	893	29.3%
Average household size	2.36

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	34.6%	31.2%
Married	49.7%	49.4%
Separated	0.4%	2.0%
Widowed	1.8%	7.4%
Divorced	13.5%	10.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.4%

Some HS, no diploma 4.1%

HS graduate 34.4%

Some college, no degree 22.9%

Associate's degree 17.4%

Bachelor's degree 14.6%

Graduate / professional 3.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.4%
Bachelor's or higher	17.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	93	4.8%
Kindergarten	162	8.4%
Elementary school	854	44.3%
High school	449	23.3%
College / grad school	368	19.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.5%

Manufacturing 15.5%

Construction 10.6%

Retail trade 10.6%

Agriculture & mining 8.9%

Other services 6.9%

Wholesale trade 5.6%

Transportation & utilities 4.2%

Professional & management 4.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.9%

Finance & real estate 2.8%

Public administration 2.3%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.7%
Service	17.2%
Sales & office	18.9%
Natural resources & construction	17.1%
Production & transportation	20.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.4%
Government	8.5%
Self-employed	13.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.1%
Carpool	9.0%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	10.7%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.1

Poverty

All people 13.9%

Under 18 years 17.8%

18 and over 12.5%

Married-couple families 4.3%

Female-led households 13.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.5%
Retirement income	21.3%
Supplemental Security	5.2%
Cash public assistance	9.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	20.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.3%
High blood pressure	35.4%
High cholesterol	32.9%
Diabetes	11.7%
Heart disease	8.5%
Stroke	4.2%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	28.2%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	8.1%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.0%
Binge drinking	17.7%
No physical activity	25.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.2%
Depression	23.5%
Fair or poor health	16.3%
Poor mental health	14.4%
Poor physical health	12.1%
No health insurance	12.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.5%
Visited dentist	60.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.4%
Teeth loss	15.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	344	6.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.5%
Under 18	5.8%
18–64 years	13.6%
65 and over	42.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	53.6%
Public insurance	53.7%
No insurance	8.0%
Uninsured under 19	3.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,981	93.6%
Spanish	192	2.8%
Other Indo-European	11	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	60	0.9%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,277	97.6%
Born in same state	7,271	97.5%
Born in different state	5,642	75.7%
Foreign born	6	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	179	2.4%
Not a US citizen	40	22.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	937	12.6%
Italian	510	6.8%
French	379	5.1%
Arab	322	4.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	194	2.6%
English	116	1.6%
Dutch	32	0.4%
Irish	13	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.9%
Internet access	92.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56482

What city is ZIP code 56482 in?

ZIP code 56482 is primarily assigned to Wadena, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56482 in?

ZIP code 56482 falls within Wadena County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 56482 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 56482 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56482?

The median home value in ZIP code 56482 is $163,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 56482?

ZIP code 56482 has an estimated population of 7,456 residents, with a density of 55 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 56482?

The median household income in ZIP code 56482 is $54,310, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 56482 in?

ZIP code 56482 observes the CST timezone.