ZIP Code 56537 — Fergus Falls city, MN Demographics & Data

ZIP code 56537 covers Fergus Falls, MN in Otter Tail County with a population of about 19,650.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 42.7 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 218; U.S. House district MN-7; the FARGO - VALLEY CITY media market.

Fergus Falls, MN sits in a university / college context (near minnesota state community and technical college (1.0 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 56537 is about $62,279 — about 17% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 8.9%; unemployment rate near 5.9%; 29.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 3.9 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Manufacturing; about 10.8% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 4.4 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $223,000 — about 36% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $757 (about 35% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 70.6% (about 5.2 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 56537 in Fergus Falls, MN, a household would need roughly $61,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,432. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($62,279). Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Fergus Falls city, MN as Relatively Low (composite score 79.4), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (83.4) and wildfire (79.3). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Fergus Falls city, MN show little to no average snow and around 26.9 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,395 for ZIP 56537 (Fergus Falls city, MN) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.