56096 ZIP Code — Waterville, MN

Le Sueur County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56096 is located in Waterville, Minnesota, within Le Sueur County. It covers approximately 55.67 square miles and serves a population of 2,788 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 507.

About ZIP code 56096

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 $236,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $81,823. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 41% 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 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 56096 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,788

population

55.67

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

56096 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 56096

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56096. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Waterville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

55052 Morristown (6.5 mi) 56052 Kilkenny (6.8 mi) 56028 Elysian (7 mi) 55087 Warsaw (8.7 mi) 56093 Waseca (11.4 mi) 56057 Le Center (12 mi) 56063 Madison Lake (12.1 mi) 56048 Janesville (12.2 mi) 56069 Montgomery (13 mi) 56017 Cleveland (13.4 mi) 56024 Eagle Lake (14.5 mi) 55021 Faribault (14.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,788
Population density	50 / sq mi
State FIPS	27
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	55.67 sq mi
Water area	5.16 sq mi
Latitude	44.2287
Longitude	-93.5661
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	507

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.2%	35.2%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	36.0%	36.7%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	21.9%	24.0%	26.5%
Over $200k	5.9%	4.1%	8.5%

Demographics & statistics

2,788

Population

People per sq mi

48.5

Median age

$81,823

Median household income

$38,076

Per capita income

$236,200

Median home value

$811

Median monthly rent

79.7%

Home ownership

7.2%

Poverty rate

4.4%

Unemployment

1,338

Housing units

20.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

161

25–34

152

124

35–44

117

201

45–54

190

123

55–59

117

140

60–64

133

218

65–74

207

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	470	16.9%
18 and over	2,318	83.1%
65 and over	635	22.8%
Median age	48.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.4%

Hispanic or Latino 2.9%

Other race 2.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2%

Two or more races 2%

Black or African American 0.8%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	2,566	89.4%
Hispanic or Latino	83	2.9%
Other race	78	2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	58	2%
Two or more races	56	2%
Black or African American	22	0.8%
Asian	8	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.2%	35.2%	33.6%
$50k – $100k	36.0%	36.7%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	21.9%	24.0%	26.5%
Over $200k	5.9%	4.1%	8.5%

Under $10k 3.9%

$10k–$15k 2.6%

$15k–$25k 6.0%

$25k–$35k 7.3%

$35k–$50k 11.8%

$50k–$75k 14.7%

$75k–$100k 17.9%

$100k–$150k 23.8%

$150k–$200k 6.5%

$200k+ 5.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.9%
$10k–$15k	2.6%
$15k–$25k	6.0%
$25k–$35k	7.3%
$35k–$50k	11.8%
$50k–$75k	14.7%
$75k–$100k	17.9%
$100k–$150k	23.8%
$150k–$200k	6.5%
$200k+	5.4%
Median income	$81,823

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.6%

$50k–$100k 5.7%

$100k–$150k 15.3%

$150k–$200k 13.0%

$200k–$300k 26.4%

$300k–$500k 29.8%

$500k–$1M 6.2%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$236,200
Median rent / month	$811
Owner occupied	79.7%
Renter occupied	20.3%
Vacant	21.5%
Single-family detached	82.5%
Large apartment buildings	1.4%
Mobile homes	1.3%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.27

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	4.7%
2000–2009	9.4%
1990–1999	13.9%
1980–1989	7.4%
1970–1979	13.6%
1960–1969	9.6%
1950–1959	10.5%
1940–1949	4.8%
1939 or earlier	26.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.1%
1 bedroom	6.3%
2 bedrooms	33.9%
3 bedrooms	32.2%
4 bedrooms	20.2%
5+ bedrooms	4.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.9%
1 vehicle	23.8%
2 vehicles	34.0%
3 or more	37.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	50.1%
Electricity	11.2%
Propane / LP gas	30.5%
Fuel oil	1.5%
Wood	5.8%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	688	55.1%
Cohabiting couple	58	4.6%
Male householder, no spouse	242	19.4%
Female householder, no spouse	261	20.9%
Households with children under 18	294	23.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	451	36.1%
Average household size	2.20

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.2%	25.4%
Married	51.4%	57.6%
Separated	0.5%	1.5%
Widowed	3.0%	7.1%
Divorced	13.9%	8.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 6.2%

HS graduate 33.6%

Some college, no degree 22.7%

Associate's degree 15.9%

Bachelor's degree 15.4%

Graduate / professional 4.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.5%
Bachelor's or higher	20.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	27	5.7%
Kindergarten	10	2.1%
Elementary school	224	47.3%
High school	129	27.2%
College / grad school	84	17.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.8%

Manufacturing 17.0%

Retail trade 13.7%

Construction 7.7%

Agriculture & mining 5.5%

Professional & management 5.5%

Other services 5.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.2%

Public administration 3.8%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Transportation & utilities 2.8%

Wholesale trade 2.6%

Information 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.5%
Service	16.9%
Sales & office	18.3%
Natural resources & construction	12.4%
Production & transportation	21.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.4%
Government	10.3%
Self-employed	7.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.9%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.5%
Carpool	8.2%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	1.6%
Work from home	4.5%
Other means	1.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.9

Poverty

All people 7.2%

Under 18 years 14.0%

18 and over 5.9%

Married-couple families 1.2%

Female-led households 35.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.8%
Retirement income	34.1%
Supplemental Security	1.9%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.1%
High blood pressure	32.7%
High cholesterol	31.9%
Diabetes	9.7%
Heart disease	7.0%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	8.7%
Arthritis	25.4%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	5.9%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.3%
Binge drinking	19.4%
No physical activity	20.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.2%
Depression	21.7%
Fair or poor health	12.0%
Poor mental health	12.7%
Poor physical health	9.5%
No health insurance	10.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.7%
Visited dentist	70.3%
Cholesterol screening	90.7%
Teeth loss	11.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	155	6.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.7%
Under 18	5.3%
18–64 years	13.4%
65 and over	20.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	75.1%
Public insurance	40.9%
No insurance	5.1%
Uninsured under 19	1.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,665	95.6%
Spanish	1	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	1	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,775	99.5%
Born in same state	2,771	99.4%
Born in different state	2,342	84.0%
Foreign born	4	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	13	0.5%
Not a US citizen	8	61.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	325	11.7%
Polish	204	7.3%
Arab	132	4.7%
French	123	4.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	45	1.6%
Dutch	33	1.2%
German	19	0.7%
Norwegian	5	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.8%
Internet access	92.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56096

What city is ZIP code 56096 in?

ZIP code 56096 is primarily assigned to Waterville, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56096 in?

ZIP code 56096 falls within Le Sueur County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 56096 have a large retiree population?

41% of households in ZIP code 56096 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 56096?

ZIP code 56096 has an estimated population of 2,788 residents, with a density of 50 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 56096?

The median household income in ZIP code 56096 is $81,823, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56096?

The median home value in ZIP code 56096 is $236,200.

What timezone is ZIP code 56096 in?

ZIP code 56096 observes the CST timezone.