| ZIP Codes: | 12 ZIP Codes (9 Standard, 3 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Codes: | 507 / 924 |
| Timezone: | Central (GMT -06:00) |
| Local Time: | 11:53:54 PM |
| Population: | 29,453 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 27047 |
| CBSA: | Albert Lea, MN |
| Land Area: | 572 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 13 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 43.6783, -93.3925 |
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29,453 residents live across 12 ZIPs covering 572 sq mi, served by 12 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 29,449 to 29,453 from 2014 to 2024 — a 0.0% change. 6 ZIPs gained residents, 6 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 56043 (Hayward, $97,708 median) and poorest ZIP 56032 (Freeborn, $50,000) are 18.2 miles apart — a 2.0× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 2.9× across this county — from $73,300 in 56089 (Twin Lakes) to $209,900 in 56016 (Clarks Grove).
Density varies 53× across the county — from 13 people/sq mi in 56029 (Emmons) to 707 in 56035 (Geneva).
Educational attainment ranges from 3.8% bachelor's+ in 56089 (Twin Lakes) to 23.8% in 56042 (Hartland) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within Minnesota, this is the #37 most populous of 93 counties and ranks #54 for median household income .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $71,015 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
18.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (3,782 of 20,865 reporting).
9 Standard delivery, 3 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
A frontier county — vast land area with only a few residents per square mile. Daily life looks very different here than in the country's denser counties.
One ZIP holds the majority of this county's population — a sign of a county built around a single city or town.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56007 | Albert Lea | Standard | 21,377 | $68,846 | 178.0 | 1.4% |
| 56036 | Glenville | Standard | 1,740 | $73,287 | 110.2 | -12.1% |
| 56009 | Alden | Standard | 1,527 | $80,804 | 100.8 | 0.7% |
| 56016 | Clarks Grove | Standard | 989 | $89,583 | 25.8 | 2.3% |
| 56045 | Hollandale | Standard | 922 | $71,250 | 27.8 | -2.7% |
| 56042 | Hartland | Standard | 751 | $89,750 | 55.2 | 12.9% |
| 56029 | Emmons | Standard | 642 | $67,857 | 48.6 | -12.2% |
| 56043 | Hayward | Standard | 423 | $97,708 | 22.6 | -15.6% |
| 56032 | Freeborn | PO Box | 407 | $50,000 | 0.7 | 34.8% |
| 56035 | Geneva | PO Box | 387 | $61,500 | 0.5 | -14.6% |
| 56089 | Twin Lakes | Standard | 214 | $56,250 | 1.3 | 8.1% |
| 56020 | Conger | PO Box | 74 | $83,750 | 0.0 | -29.5% |