Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Buffalo - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Buffalo lands in the 77th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
77th
percentile, household income
32nd
percentile, home value
30th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Buffalo, ND
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 213 residents in Buffalo, a small town within North Dakota. Buffalo households earn a median of $99,583 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.8%. Buffalo's housing stock carries a median value of $166,700, and the median resident age is 36.9 years. Educational attainment runs 32.1% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 74.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Buffalo (No Permits), per Census BPS data.
Living costs in North Dakota run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Dakota scores 89.0 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,112 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $200 across North Dakota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 82.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).
Population
213 residents
Census ACS 2023 - North Dakota
Median Household Income
$99,583/yr
Poverty 1.8%
Cost of Living Index (state)
89.0 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Dakota average
How does Buffalo compare to other US cities?
Here's how Buffalo stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income77% higher than other cities
Home value32% pricier than other cities
Median rent30% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Buffalo against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Dakota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
North Dakota-relative analysis
Bachelor's Degree or Higher places Buffalo toward the top of North Dakota's cities
Among the 246 North Dakota cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Buffalo ranks #41 - the 83rd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Buffalo only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#19 of 227
92nd percentile in North Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#44 of 246
76th percentile in North Dakota
Median Home Value
#76 of 226
66th percentile in North Dakota
Poverty Rate
#174 of 246
28th percentile in North Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#41 of 246
83rd percentile in North Dakota
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Dakota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
77th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Buffalo's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$166,700Among the most affordablemore affordable than 68% of 15,600 US cities
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Income distribution context
Buffalo, ND's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Buffalo, ND. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)32.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)1.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)74.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
213
Median Income
$99,583
Median Home Value
$166,700
Median Age
36.9
Poverty Rate
1.8%
Labor force participation
74.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.1%
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Buffalo's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
0
0
0
-
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
83.6%
Carpool
2.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.6%
Work from Home
9.1%
Other
1.0%
Based on 110 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for North Dakota - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$90
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$200
estimated/month
Estimates reflect North Dakota state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a North Dakota state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Buffalo sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS ND Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Buffalo, ND?
What is the population of Buffalo, ND?+
The population of Buffalo, ND stands at 213 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Buffalo, ND?+
The median household income in Buffalo is $99,583 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Buffalo?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Buffalo; the closest available measure is the North Dakota state average, a cost of living index of 89.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Dakota vary by metro area.
What is the median home value in Buffalo, ND?+
Buffalo's median home value sits at $166,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.