56297 ZIP Code — Wood Lake, MN

Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota

ZIP code 56297 is located in Wood Lake, Minnesota, within Yellow Medicine County. It covers approximately 67.89 square miles and serves a population of 836 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 507.

About ZIP code 56297

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 $134,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $81,875. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 33% 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 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% 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 56297 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

836
population
67.89
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
56297 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 56297

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 56297. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Wood Lake Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
56237 Echo (6.2 mi) 56229 Cottonwood (9.4 mi) 56245 Hanley Falls (9.6 mi) 56292 Vesta (9.7 mi) 56214 Belview (11.1 mi) 56241 Granite Falls (13.2 mi) 56263 Milroy (14 mi) 56285 Sacred Heart (14.2 mi) 56258 Marshall (14.5 mi) 56255 Lucan (16.6 mi) 56223 Clarkfield (17.7 mi) 56284 Renville (19.9 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 836
Population density 12 / sq mi
State FIPS 27
County FIPS 173
Geography
Land area 67.89 sq mi
Water area 1.51 sq mi
Latitude 44.6238
Longitude -95.5436
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 27.8% 41.3% 33.6%
$50k – $100k 46.6% 36.3% 31.5%
$100k – $200k 24.3% 19.6% 26.5%
Over $200k 1.3% 2.8% 8.5%

Demographics & statistics

836
Population
12
People per sq mi
44.1
Median age
$81,875
Median household income
$38,396
Per capita income
$134,600
Median home value
$625
Median monthly rent
88.1%
Home ownership
4.7%
Poverty rate
1.7%
Unemployment
310
Housing units
17.3%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
22
Under 5
23
27
5–9
27
29
10–14
29
19
15–19
19
20
20–24
21
45
25–34
46
49
35–44
51
67
45–54
69
30
55–59
32
36
60–64
38
47
65–74
49
12
75–84
13
8
85+
8
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1817420.8%
18 and over66279.2%
65 and over13716.4%
Median age44.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
Other race 2.1%
Two or more races 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Black or African American 0.8%
GroupCount%
White78892.3%
Hispanic or Latino182.1%
Other race182.1%
Two or more races131.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native101.2%
Black or African American70.8%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 27.8% 41.3% 33.6%
$50k – $100k 46.6% 36.3% 31.5%
$100k – $200k 24.3% 19.6% 26.5%
Over $200k 1.3% 2.8% 8.5%
Under $10k 3.3%
$10k–$15k 3.9%
$15k–$25k 2.7%
$25k–$35k 5.7%
$35k–$50k 9.3%
$50k–$75k 19.1%
$75k–$100k 19.4%
$100k–$150k 19.4%
$150k–$200k 10.7%
$200k+ 6.6%
Range% of households
Under $10k3.3%
$10k–$15k3.9%
$15k–$25k2.7%
$25k–$35k5.7%
$35k–$50k9.3%
$50k–$75k19.1%
$75k–$100k19.4%
$100k–$150k19.4%
$150k–$200k10.7%
$200k+6.6%
Median income$81,875

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.2%
$50k–$100k 28.5%
$100k–$150k 15.9%
$150k–$200k 12.2%
$200k–$300k 22.4%
$300k–$500k 8.5%
$500k–$1M 3.1%
$1M+ 0.3%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$134,600
Median rent / month$625
Owner occupied88.1%
Renter occupied11.9%
Vacant4.3%
Single-family detached95.1%
Large apartment buildings0.3%
Mobile homes1.4%
Median rooms7.1
Avg household size (owned)2.52

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20191.4%
2000–20095.7%
1990–19996.3%
1980–19894.9%
1970–19798.0%
1960–19693.4%
1950–195912.3%
1940–194915.1%
1939 or earlier42.9%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.0%
1 bedroom0.6%
2 bedrooms23.4%
3 bedrooms39.4%
4 bedrooms27.7%
5+ bedrooms8.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle3.0%
1 vehicle9.9%
2 vehicles45.7%
3 or more41.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas44.5%
Electricity13.4%
Propane / LP gas39.1%
Fuel oil1.2%
Wood1.2%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family23068.7%
Cohabiting couple226.6%
Male householder, no spouse5516.4%
Female householder, no spouse288.4%
Households with children under 189327.8%
Households with seniors (65+)10431.0%
Average household size2.50

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married21.8%15.4%
Married68.4%75.8%
Separated0.0%0.0%
Widowed3.7%5.4%
Divorced6.0%3.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.3%
Some HS, no diploma 5.8%
HS graduate 34.7%
Some college, no degree 23.2%
Associate's degree 18.7%
Bachelor's degree 13.7%
Graduate / professional 3.7%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher93.8%
Bachelor's or higher17.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool95.5%
Kindergarten63.7%
Elementary school9155.8%
High school3622.1%
College / grad school2112.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 16.0%
Agriculture & mining 15.1%
Retail trade 10.9%
Other services 10.5%
Manufacturing 9.9%
Finance & real estate 8.2%
Construction 5.5%
Wholesale trade 5.3%
Transportation & utilities 4.8%
Professional & management 4.4%
Arts, food & hospitality 4.4%
Public administration 4.4%
Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts37.2%
Service10.1%
Sales & office23.5%
Natural resources & construction12.2%
Production & transportation17.0%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector76.9%
Government10.3%
Self-employed12.2%
Unpaid family workers0.6%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone78.1%
Carpool8.1%
Public transit0.4%
Walk2.8%
Work from home10.0%
Other means0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)24.9

Poverty

All people 4.7%
Under 18 years 0.0%
18 and over 5.9%
Married-couple families 0.9%
Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security33.1%
Retirement income18.5%
Supplemental Security6.3%
Cash public assistance1.8%
Food stamps / SNAP4.5%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity37.0%
High blood pressure31.4%
High cholesterol30.2%
Diabetes9.9%
Heart disease6.7%
Stroke3.2%
Asthma9.4%
Arthritis24.2%
Kidney disease3.0%
Pulmonary disease6.4%
Cancer6.8%
Behavior / access%
Smoking20.9%
Binge drinking19.6%
No physical activity23.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep30.2%
Depression22.7%
Fair or poor health13.7%
Poor mental health14.4%
Poor physical health10.5%
No health insurance12.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)69.4%
Visited dentist67.3%
Cholesterol screening88.8%
Teeth loss13.2%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans639.5%
Disability%
Any disability9.7%
Under 184.6%
18–64 years7.2%
65 and over25.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance75.4%
Public insurance34.1%
No insurance5.1%
Uninsured under 194.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only79194.6%
Spanish111.4%
Other Indo-European101.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander10.1%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)83399.6%
Born in same state83099.3%
Born in different state67380.5%
Foreign born30.4%
Naturalized citizen30.4%
Not a US citizen266.7%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Polish20524.5%
Arab485.7%
Italian455.4%
French273.2%
AncestryCount%
English222.6%
Dutch101.2%
Irish20.2%
German10.1%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access40.1%
Internet access92.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 56297

What city is ZIP code 56297 in?

ZIP code 56297 is primarily assigned to Wood Lake, Minnesota.

What county is ZIP code 56297 in?

ZIP code 56297 falls within Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota.

Is ZIP code 56297 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 56297 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 56297?

The median home value in ZIP code 56297 is $134,600.

Does ZIP code 56297 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 56297 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 56297?

ZIP code 56297 has an estimated population of 836 residents, with a density of 12 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 56297 in?

ZIP code 56297 observes the CST timezone.

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