Appleton is a city in Swift County, Minnesota, home to about 1,393 people across 1.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 56208.
Homes sold for a median of $114 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Appleton; also Appleton Township and Edison
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Appleton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)137 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Watertown Regional Airport (ATY)60 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN134 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL477 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Appleton; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Appleton had 1,392 residents in the 2020 census, down 52% since 2000.
It’s the 452nd largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Swift County grew from 13,503 residents in 1900 to 9,838 in 2020.
Swift County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 4°F. About 27.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 51 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Milan 1nw, MN weather station (7 miles away).
3,382 jobs at 301 businesses in Swift County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
15 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Appleton.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 3 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 6 |
| Mental health providers | 1 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Lac qui Parle Valley Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton-Milan ElementaryAppleton | Pre-K–4 | 230 | Public | 1.1 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Appleton Township, Edison, Shible, Hantho, West Bank, Holloway, Hegbert, Fairfield Township (Swift County) and Moyer.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.