City · Iowa
Buffalo, Iowa
Buffalo, city, in Scott County, Iowa. Buffalo had 1,146 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,176 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,097 (±252). GEOID 1909235.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,146
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,176 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,097 ±252
Median household income
$69,728
±$18,221 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$122,100
±$38,125 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$804
±$162 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Buffalo and what county is it in?
Buffalo is a city in Scott County, Iowa. It covers 6.8 square miles of land, 174 residents per square mile in 2020.
Buffalo is in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Buffalo, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,146 people lived in Buffalo on July 1, 2025, down 2.4% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 1,176 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,097 (±252).
| Measure | Buffalo | Scott County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,097 ±252 | 174,608 | no clear change |
| Households | 481 ±102 | 73,132 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.26 ±0.46 | 2.34 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 552 ±108 | 78,537 | no clear change |
Buffalo's population since 2000
From 1,321 in 2000 to 1,146 in 2025: down 13.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Buffalo as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Buffalo?
The median resident of Buffalo is 42.0 years old; 27.7% are under 18 and 17.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.3%.
| Measure | Buffalo | Scott County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.0 ±9.5 | 39.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 27.7% ±10.1 pts | 23.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.0% ±6.3 pts | 17.5% | – |
| Male | 52.2% ±7.3 pts | 49.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.3% ±5.9 pts | 7.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.6% ±7.7 pts | 77.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.3 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 2.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±0.8 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 5.5% ±8.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.1% ±1.3 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.0% ±1.4 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.8% ±3.7 pts | 7.5% | – |
| With a disability | 23.3% ±9.2 pts | 12.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.8% ±2.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.7% ±4.9 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.6% ±5.6 pts | 36.6% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.1% ±2.7 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.7% ±8.1 pts | 86.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 3.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Buffalo earn?
Half of Buffalo's 481 households earn less than $69,728 a year (±$18,221), against $78,277 in Scott County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $69,227 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 18.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Buffalo | Scott County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,728 ±$18,221 | $78,277 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $75,822 ±$10,979 | $103,843 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,958 ±$7,329 | $43,847 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 18.8% ±9.7 pts | 11.5% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 25.3% ±20.1 pts | 13.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.0% ±3.6 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.6% ±7.0 pts | 94.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.8% ±7.1 pts | 90.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Buffalo?
Owners occupy 76.3% of Buffalo's occupied homes and renters 23.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $122,100 by its owner (±$38,125). The median renter pays $804 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Buffalo | Scott County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $122,100 ±$38,125 | $222,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $804 ±$162 | $1,005 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 15.1% ±15.4 pts | 38.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,058 ±$113 | $1,572 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 76.3% ±9.8 pts | 70.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 23.7% ±9.8 pts | 30.0% | – |
| Housing units | 552 ±108 | 78,537 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±19.6 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 94.6% ±4.2 pts | 68.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.6% ±3.4 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 31.3% ±11.2 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.0% ±1.5 pts | 6.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Buffalo building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Buffalo in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Buffalo work and get to work?
84.9% of Buffalo's workers drive alone and 5.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 29.1 minutes.
| Measure | Buffalo | Scott County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.4% ±6.9 pts | 65.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% ±2.7 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 84.9% ±7.1 pts | 78.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.5% ±4.7 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.2% ±0.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±4.5 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.5% ±3.6 pts | 10.9% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.1 min ±9.1 | 20.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Buffalo?
No census tract lies mostly in Buffalo; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 104.02Scott County | 3,341 | $126,563 |
| Tract 104.01Scott County | 5,609 | $85,855 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Buffalo) · Census block assignment files
How does Buffalo compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Buffalo is the 9,751st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 247th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Buffalo ranks 141st of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 247th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 210th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 279th | 279 |
| Median household income | 141st | 279 |
| Per capita income | 200th | 279 |
| Median home value | 225th | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 164th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 20th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 256th | 279 |
| Median age | 91st | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 118th | 279 |
| Work from home | 186th | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 7th | 279 |
Buffalo's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Buffalo with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Buffalo?
23 of the 57 figures for Buffalo on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Buffalo are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Buffalo.