Wheeling is a township in Rice County, Minnesota, home to about 529 people across 35 square miles. Its ZIP code is 55053, and parts of 55021 are in Wheeling too.
Homes sold for a median of $189 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Wheeling; also Nerstrand and Northfield Township
Mostly Faribault; part is in Wheeling
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Wheeling. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Wheeling’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)38 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | St. Paul, MN42 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL325 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Wheeling; 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.
Wheeling had 525 residents in the 2020 census, down 3% since 2000.
It’s the 1014th largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Rice County grew from 26,080 residents in 1900 to 67,097 in 2020.
Rice County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 5°F. About 35.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 43 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Faribault, MN weather station (7 miles away).
25,126 jobs at 1,600 businesses in Rice County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
Parks (3 nearby)
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 4 miles 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 Nerstrand Charter School. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nerstrand Charter SchoolNerstrand | K–5 | 102 | Charter | 3.3 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 Faribault, Wells Township, Walcott, Cannon City, Warsaw Township (Rice County), Forest, Shieldsville, Nerstrand, Richland, Northfield Township and Holden.
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.