Neighborhood Profile
ZIP Code 56315 — Brandon, MN
A snapshot of the people, housing, and geography behind the postal code 56315. A sparsely populated rural ZIP in Douglas, Minnesota.
About ZIP 56315
ZIP code 56315 serves Brandon in Douglas, Minnesota. It centers near 45.9652°, -95.5987° and, by population, qualifies as a sparsely populated rural ZIP. Roughly 1,897 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).
The median household earns about $85,893 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $224,800, and asking rents on the open market sit around $900 per month. Compared to the rest of Minnesota, that makes 56315 noticeably pricier than the state average. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $67,366 and a median home value of $193,567.
The median resident is around 40.5 years old, and roughly 10.7% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree. Unemployment estimates from the same Census release put the share of unemployed adults around 2.3% of the total population (the labor-force-only rate is higher, since not every resident is counted as "in the labor force").
Cost of living read
If you're considering a move into 56315, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $224,800 and a typical rental runs $900 a month. Translate that into your own budget:
- At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $1,196 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
- Renting the median unit at $900/mo costs roughly $10,800 per year, or about 12.6% of the local median household income.
- For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap (+$31,233 versus the state average of $193,567) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.
Who lives here
The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 40.5 and a population of 1,897, ZIP 56315 reads as a settled, working-age and family-heavy area. The bachelor's-degree share around 10.7% is on the lower end, often reflecting trade-economy or rural labor markets.
Geography & nearby ZIPs
This ZIP centers at 45.9652, -95.5987. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.
Race & ethnicity (2019–2023 ACS)
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates (table B03002) count 1,731 people in this ZIP Code Tabulation Area — a newer, supplemental release added alongside the core figures above. See the methodology page for why the core figures themselves have not yet been refreshed to this vintage.
| Group | Count | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 11 | 0.6% |
| White alone (not Hispanic or Latino) | 1,684 | 97.3% |
| Black or African American alone (not Hispanic or Latino) | 4 | 0.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone (not Hispanic or Latino) | 2 | 0.1% |
| Asian alone (not Hispanic or Latino) | 4 | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone (not Hispanic or Latino) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Some other race alone (not Hispanic or Latino) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Two or more races (not Hispanic or Latino) | 26 | 1.5% |
Poverty status (2019–2023 ACS)
Of the 1,731 residents here for whom the Census Bureau determines poverty status (table B17001), 145 (8.4%) were below the poverty line in the past 12 months.
Commuting (2019–2023 ACS)
Among the 806 workers age 16+ here who did not work from home (table B08303), the Census Bureau's own travel-time brackets break down like this:
| Travel time to work | Workers | % of workers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 5 minutes | 16 | 2.0% |
| 5 to 9 minutes | 79 | 9.8% |
| 10 to 14 minutes | 61 | 7.6% |
| 15 to 19 minutes | 70 | 8.7% |
| 20 to 24 minutes | 155 | 19.2% |
| 25 to 29 minutes | 178 | 22.1% |
| 30 to 34 minutes | 166 | 20.6% |
| 35 to 39 minutes | 25 | 3.1% |
| 40 to 44 minutes | 4 | 0.5% |
| 45 to 59 minutes | 31 | 3.8% |
| 60 to 89 minutes | 7 | 0.9% |
| 90 minutes or more | 14 | 1.7% |
Housing occupancy (2019–2023 ACS)
Of the 975 housing units counted here (table B25002), 674 (69.1%) were occupied and 301 (30.9%) were vacant.
How to use this profile
Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.
If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Brandon or browse the rest of Minnesota.