10,205 residents live across 8 ZIPs covering 505 sq mi, served by 8 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 10,098 to 10,205 from 2014 to 2024 — a +1.1% change. 2 ZIPs gained residents, 6 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 56116 (Beaver Creek, $95,000 median) and poorest ZIP 56158 (Magnolia, $53,462) are 15.6 miles apart — a 1.8× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 2.4× across this county — from $95,000 in 56144 (Jasper) to $232,300 in 56156 (Luverne).
Density varies 11× across the county — from 4 people/sq mi in 56147 (Kenneth) to 38 in 56156 (Luverne).
Educational attainment ranges from 13.0% bachelor's+ in 56158 (Magnolia) to 28.8% in 56116 (Beaver Creek) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within Minnesota, this is the #91 most populous of 93 counties and ranks #93 for median household income .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $70,151 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
25.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (1,740 of 6,835 reporting).
8 Standard delivery, 0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56156 | Luverne | Standard | 6,371 | $71,066 | 166.0 | 7.3% |
| 56144 | Jasper | Standard | 1,143 | $58,375 | 103.8 | 3.3% |
| 56138 | Hills | Standard | 927 | $78,631 | 31.6 | -4.6% |
| 56116 | Beaver Creek | Standard | 559 | $95,000 | 58.8 | -14.5% |
| 56134 | Hardwick | Standard | 441 | $59,063 | 48.4 | -4.8% |
| 56158 | Magnolia | Standard | 322 | $53,462 | 35.2 | -20.3% |
| 56173 | Steen | Standard | 307 | $59,286 | 23.7 | -26.6% |
| 56147 | Kenneth | Standard | 135 | $66,250 | 37.7 | -6.3% |