What city is 56542 in?

56542 is a Fosston, MN mailing address. By land area, 1% lies inside Fosston; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.

What is the population of 56542?

About 2,486 people (±164), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 2,718.

What is the median household income in 56542?

$59,706 (±$5,596), compared with $89,062 for Minnesota as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.

How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 56542?

4 USPS carrier routes with 1,158 residential and 86 business mailboxes (1,244 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.

What ZIP codes are near 56542?

The closest, measured center to center: 56651 (9.4 mi, Pine Bend), 56556 (9.7 mi, McIntosh), 56592 (13.3 mi, Winger), 56516 (14.2 mi, Bejou), 56646 (15.5 mi, Gully) and 56535 (16.5 mi, Erskine).

56542 ZIP Code, Fosston, MN

Q: What county is 56542 in?

56542 is mostly in Polk County (80% of its land), with smaller parts in Mahnomen County.

56542 is a ZIP code in Fosston, Minnesota — mostly in Polk County (80% of its land), with smaller parts in Mahnomen County. It covers 180 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 56651, 56556 and 56592. 2,486 people live here in 1,034 households. It is rural, with fewer than 100 people per square mile, and owners and renters are mixed (68% own). Median household income is $59,706, below the Minnesota median of $89,062.

Quick facts

Mailing city: Fosston, MN
County: Polk County
Land area: 180 sq mi
Population: 2,486
Median household income: $59,706
Carrier routes: 4 (1,158 homes)

Key figures

Measure	Value
Residents	2,486
Households	1,034
Median household income	$59,706
Income per person	$32,663
Median age	42.9
Homeowners	68.2%
Median home value	$186,300
Median rent	$788
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.4%
Average commute (minutes)	15.9
Households with kids under 18	27.0%
Moved in the past year	13.8%
Below the poverty line	17.5%
Broadband internet	86.6%
Speak a non-English language at home	2.1%

Household income

% of households	Value
<$10K	6.6%
$10–15K	5.9%
$15–25K	9.2%
$25–35K	8.4%
$35–50K	10.1%
$50–75K	20.5%
$75–100K	13.2%
$100–150K	14.0%
$150–200K	7.4%
$200K+	4.8%

Age

% of all residents	Value
<10	11.4%
10–19	14.4%
20–24	3.2%
25–34	12.5%
35–44	10.5%
45–54	7.8%
55–64	15.7%
65–74	11.7%
75+	12.9%

Tenure

% of housing units	Value
Owned, with mortgage	28.5%
Owned outright	30.0%
Rented	27.1%
Vacant	14.4%

Type of building

% of housing units	Value
Detached house	80.0%
Townhome	0.7%
2–4 units	2.2%
5–19 units	6.6%
20+ units	2.6%
Mobile / other	7.9%

Businesses in 56542

104 business establishments with 1,195 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).

Health Care and Social Assistance: 18
Retail Trade: 14
Other Services (except Public Administration): 13
Construction: 10
Finance and Insurance: 10
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 9
Manufacturing: 7
Accommodation and Food Services: 7

EDDM carrier routes

56542 has 4 USPS carrier routes with 1,158 residential and 86 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.

Carrier routes in 56542

56542 has 4 USPS carrier routes (2 city (C), 2 rural (R)) with 1,158 residential and 86 business mailboxes. Routes range from 248 homes (C002) to 389 homes (C001); the median route has 261 homes. The Census counted 1,034 households in 56542 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.

Homes per route	Routes
1–249	1
250–499	3
500–749	0
750–999	0
1,000–1,499	0
1,500+	0

Best routes in 56542 for…

Most businesses

For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.

Route C002 — USPS business mailboxes 37, 248 homes
Route C001 — USPS business mailboxes 36, 389 homes
Route R003 — USPS business mailboxes 11, 250 homes
Route R001 — USPS business mailboxes 2, 271 homes

Select these 4 routes on the route map

Every carrier route in 56542

Route	Type	Homes	Businesses	Est. median income	Est. owners	Est. families with kids	Est. moved in past year
C001	City	389	36	$45,770	—	—	—
C002	City	248	37	$53,047	—	—	—
R001	Rural	271	2	$56,326	—	—	—
R003	Rural	250	11	$45,770	—	—	—

Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 56542 on the EDDM route map.

How route demographics are estimated

Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates

The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).

How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method

We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.

Margins of error

Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.

Different years

USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.

Why some routes show identical figures

Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.

Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Nearby ZIP codes

56651 — Pine Bend CDP, MN (9.4 mi)
56556 — McIntosh city, MN (9.7 mi)
56592 — Winger city, MN (13.3 mi)
56516 — Bejou city, MN (14.2 mi)
56646 — Gully city, MN (15.5 mi)
56535 — Erskine city, MN (16.5 mi)
56634 — Clearbrook city, MN (17.2 mi)
56644 — Gonvick city, MN (17.6 mi)

Areas that include 56542

Where it ranks

Mail every home in 56542

Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.

EDDM guides

ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 56542, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.

Frequently asked questions

What city is 56542 in?: 56542 is a Fosston, MN mailing address. By land area, 1% lies inside Fosston; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
What county is 56542 in?: 56542 is mostly in Polk County (80% of its land), with smaller parts in Mahnomen County.
What is the population of 56542?: About 2,486 people (±164), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 2,718.
What is the median household income in 56542?: $59,706 (±$5,596), compared with $89,062 for Minnesota as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 56542?: 4 USPS carrier routes with 1,158 residential and 86 business mailboxes (1,244 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
What ZIP codes are near 56542?: The closest, measured center to center: 56651 (9.4 mi, Pine Bend), 56556 (9.7 mi, McIntosh), 56592 (13.3 mi, Winger), 56516 (14.2 mi, Bejou), 56646 (15.5 mi, Gully) and 56535 (16.5 mi, Erskine).

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.