Best Places56223, MN Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 56223, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
56223 ranks 14,033rd of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on state infrastructure by a wide margin, and a weak job market ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 56223
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
56223's strengths and weaknesses
Where 56223 ranks high
- State infrastructureBetter than 91% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than 85% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 125 pleasant days a year, better than 78% of zip codes
- Healthcare accessBetter than 73% of zip codes
- Short commute23.2 minutes each way, better than 69% of zip codes
Where 56223 ranks low
- Local economyBetter than only 11% of zip codes
- Tree shadeBetter than only 13% of zip codes
- Big-city accessBetter than only 17% of zip codes
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 22% of zip codes
- TransitBetter than only 35% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 56223
A household needs to earn about $37,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 56223 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $73,614, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 56223's effective rate of 0.87%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 5 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 56223
56223's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 56223.
Who works in 56223, and how
Work in 56223 centers on health care & social and manufacturing. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and the job base is shrinking.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 88%
- Work from home 8%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in 56223
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 56223.
What the weather is like in 56223, month by month
56223 sees roughly 125 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 85 degrees. January highs sit near 26, with lows near 9. The comfortable stretch runs May through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 17° | 9° |
| April | 57° | 45° | 35° |
| July | 85° | 74° | 63° |
| October | 61° | 49° | 40° |
Flying in and out of 56223
The nearest airport, Watertown Regional, is about 66 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain, about 127 miles away.
The best schools in and around 56223
Schools across 56223 average a C+, better than 41% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Minneota ElementaryA · 63% proficient
- Bert Raney Elementary SchoolB · 48% proficient
- Stevens ElementaryB · 47% proficient
Top middle schools
- Montevideo MiddleB+ · 47% proficient
- Yellow Medicine East Middle SchoolD+ · 25% proficient
Top high schools
- Minneota SecondaryA− · 62% proficient
- Montevideo Senior HighB− · 43% proficient
- Dawson-boyd SecondaryB− · 43% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 56223 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
56223 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 56223 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 56223
Is 56223 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 56223 ranks 14,033rd of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on state infrastructure, walkability, and the weather, and lowest on a weak job market and tree cover. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 56223 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $139,637. The overall cost of living runs about 19% below the national average. Set against a $73,614 median income, cost of living beats 65% of zip codes.
Is 56223 safe?
56223 is safer than 47% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $325 per resident a year.
Compare 56223 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 56223. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 56223 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
56223 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 56223: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 56223: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 56223: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 56223: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
56223 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.