56296 ZIP Code — Wheaton, MN

Traverse County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56296 is located in Wheaton, Minnesota, within Traverse County. It covers approximately 236.97 square miles and serves a population of 1,858 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 320.

About ZIP code 56296

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 $97,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $54,329. 49% 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 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 56296 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,858
population
236.97
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
56296 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 56296

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56296. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Wheaton Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
56236 Dumont (9.6 mi) 57260 Rosholt (13.3 mi) 56219 Browns Valley (16.7 mi) 56274 Norcross (16.8 mi) 56235 Donnelly (17.3 mi) 56211 Beardsley (18.4 mi) 56240 Graceville (18.6 mi) 56248 Herman (18.6 mi) 58030 Fairmount (19.2 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 1,858
Population density 8 / sq mi
State FIPS 27
County FIPS 155
Geography
Land area 236.97 sq mi
Water area 4.29 sq mi
Latitude 45.8039
Longitude -96.4550
Timezone Central (CT)
Area code 320
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics updated 05/2026
Household income
Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 55.4% 49.3% 33.6%
$50k – $100k 25.6% 30.7% 31.5%
$100k – $200k 14.9% 16.5% 26.5%
Over $200k 4.1% 3.5% 8.5%

Demographics & statistics

1,858
Population
8
People per sq mi
46.3
Median age
$54,329
Median household income
$36,511
Per capita income
$97,800
Median home value
$564
Median monthly rent
80.4%
Home ownership
9.0%
Poverty rate
4.7%
Unemployment
861
Housing units
16.2%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
42
Under 5
45
39
5–9
43
56
10–14
61
63
15–19
67
53
20–24
58
63
25–34
68
116
35–44
125
84
45–54
91
58
55–59
63
58
60–64
63
104
65–74
112
81
75–84
87
76
85+
82
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1836119.4%
18 and over1,49780.6%
65 and over54229.2%
Median age46.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.7%
Two or more races 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Other race 1.5%
Black or African American 1%
GroupCount%
White1,69989.7%
Two or more races593.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native522.7%
Hispanic or Latino361.9%
Other race291.5%
Black or African American191%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 55.4% 49.3% 33.6%
$50k – $100k 25.6% 30.7% 31.5%
$100k – $200k 14.9% 16.5% 26.5%
Over $200k 4.1% 3.5% 8.5%
Under $10k 3.1%
$10k–$15k 8.2%
$15k–$25k 13.8%
$25k–$35k 9.0%
$35k–$50k 11.1%
$50k–$75k 15.4%
$75k–$100k 15.0%
$100k–$150k 12.1%
$150k–$200k 5.6%
$200k+ 6.7%
Range% of households
Under $10k3.1%
$10k–$15k8.2%
$15k–$25k13.8%
$25k–$35k9.0%
$35k–$50k11.1%
$50k–$75k15.4%
$75k–$100k15.0%
$100k–$150k12.1%
$150k–$200k5.6%
$200k+6.7%
Median income$54,329

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 24.6%
$50k–$100k 26.2%
$100k–$150k 14.8%
$150k–$200k 8.9%
$200k–$300k 13.6%
$300k–$500k 6.3%
$500k–$1M 4.7%
$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$97,800
Median rent / month$564
Owner occupied80.4%
Renter occupied19.6%
Vacant15.8%
Single-family detached79.6%
Large apartment buildings2.3%
Mobile homes2.1%
Median rooms6.2
Avg household size (owned)2.20

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.3%
2010–20192.6%
2000–20093.4%
1990–199917.7%
1980–19897.1%
1970–197913.2%
1960–19699.7%
1950–19599.6%
1940–194911.3%
1939 or earlier25.1%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.0%
1 bedroom10.4%
2 bedrooms32.4%
3 bedrooms33.9%
4 bedrooms18.3%
5+ bedrooms5.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle6.6%
1 vehicle38.4%
2 vehicles34.0%
3 or more21.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas2.1%
Electricity30.6%
Propane / LP gas48.6%
Fuel oil16.5%
Wood0.5%
No fuel used0.6%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family34940.2%
Cohabiting couple273.1%
Male householder, no spouse19722.7%
Female householder, no spouse29534.0%
Households with children under 1820523.6%
Households with seniors (65+)38944.8%
Average household size2.06

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married31.8%18.5%
Married45.0%45.9%
Separated0.4%4.6%
Widowed6.7%22.1%
Divorced16.1%8.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.3%
Some HS, no diploma 3.8%
HS graduate 38.3%
Some college, no degree 23.7%
Associate's degree 15.7%
Bachelor's degree 11.3%
Graduate / professional 4.9%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher93.8%
Bachelor's or higher16.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool123.3%
Kindergarten215.8%
Elementary school16345.4%
High school11231.2%
College / grad school5114.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.1%
Agriculture & mining 14.5%
Manufacturing 10.3%
Retail trade 9.4%
Professional & management 7.2%
Public administration 6.8%
Other services 6.4%
Finance & real estate 4.9%
Transportation & utilities 4.6%
Wholesale trade 4.4%
Arts, food & hospitality 4.1%
Construction 3.5%
Information 1.8%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts38.9%
Service16.5%
Sales & office22.8%
Natural resources & construction12.0%
Production & transportation9.9%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector65.9%
Government22.1%
Self-employed12.0%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone73.8%
Carpool10.7%
Public transit0.1%
Walk2.9%
Work from home11.9%
Other means0.5%
Avg commute (minutes)17.2

Poverty

All people 9.0%
Under 18 years 7.8%
18 and over 9.3%
Married-couple families 3.2%
Female-led households 9.0%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security49.1%
Retirement income27.9%
Supplemental Security2.1%
Cash public assistance10.9%
Food stamps / SNAP13.5%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity34.5%
High blood pressure35.9%
High cholesterol34.0%
Diabetes11.4%
Heart disease9.0%
Stroke4.1%
Asthma8.6%
Arthritis30.2%
Kidney disease3.7%
Pulmonary disease7.0%
Cancer9.9%
Behavior / access%
Smoking16.3%
Binge drinking16.5%
No physical activity23.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep27.4%
Depression20.1%
Fair or poor health13.8%
Poor mental health11.9%
Poor physical health10.5%
No health insurance10.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)74.5%
Visited dentist68.0%
Cholesterol screening91.8%
Teeth loss11.8%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans1278.5%
Disability%
Any disability15.7%
Under 183.3%
18–64 years14.3%
65 and over27.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance73.7%
Public insurance50.1%
No insurance1.9%
Uninsured under 191.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only1,77195.3%
Spanish593.3%
Other Indo-European482.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander110.6%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)1,81397.6%
Born in same state1,81097.4%
Born in different state1,31070.5%
Foreign born30.2%
Naturalized citizen452.4%
Not a US citizen1840.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Polish26514.3%
French1457.8%
Italian1156.2%
Arab754%
AncestryCount%
Dutch351.9%
English231.2%
German191%
Irish60.3%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access46.7%
Internet access85.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56296

What city is ZIP code 56296 in?

ZIP code 56296 is primarily assigned to Wheaton, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56296 in?

ZIP code 56296 falls within Traverse County, Minnesota.

Does ZIP code 56296 have an older population?

29% of residents in ZIP code 56296 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 56296 have a large retiree population?

49% of households in ZIP code 56296 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 56296 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 56296 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56296?

The median home value in ZIP code 56296 is $97,800.

What timezone is ZIP code 56296 in?

ZIP code 56296 observes the CST timezone.

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