Town · West Virginia
Buffalo, West Virginia
Buffalo, town, in Putnam County, West Virginia. Buffalo had 1,185 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,211 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,150 (±284). GEOID 5411284.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,185
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,211 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,150 ±284
Median household income
$64,583
±$29,442 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $59,608
Median home value
$132,900
±$29,190 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $162,600
Median gross rent
$546
±$162 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $872
Where is Buffalo and what county is it in?
Buffalo is a town in Putnam County, West Virginia. It covers 1.2 square miles of land, 1,027 residents per square mile in 2020.
Buffalo is in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 8 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 1,185 people lived in Buffalo on July 1, 2025, down 1.6% since 2020, in line with West Virginia (−1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 1,211 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,150 (±284).
| Measure | Buffalo | Putnam County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,150 ±284 | 57,177 | no clear change |
| Households | 449 ±99 | 23,251 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.50 ±0.33 | 2.45 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 552 ±126 | 24,963 | no clear change |
Buffalo's population since 2000
From 1,171 in 2000 to 1,185 in 2025: up 1.2%. 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; 18.6% are under 18 and 24.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 98.5%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 0.7%.
| Measure | Buffalo | Putnam County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.0 ±10.3 | 42.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.6% ±7.7 pts | 21.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 24.8% ±9.1 pts | 19.7% | – |
| Male | 53.9% ±4.5 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 1.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 98.5% ±1.5 pts | 93.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.2% ±6.9 pts | 8.0% | – |
| With a disability | 13.8% ±5.9 pts | 13.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.2% ±5.5 pts | 5.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.1% ±4.1 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 12.8% ±6.9 pts | 29.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.6% ±3.4 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 97.2% ±2.2 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5% ±0.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
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 449 households earn less than $64,583 a year (±$29,442), against $79,527 in Putnam County and $59,608 in West Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $48,267 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Buffalo | Putnam County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,583 ±$29,442 | $79,527 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $68,094 ±$12,428 | $101,714 | – |
| Per capita income | $29,002 ±$6,122 | $41,822 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 19.9% ±14.4 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 36.4% ±36.4 pts | 16.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.8% ±5.7 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.8% ±4.1 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.8% ±5.5 pts | 87.8% | – |
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 90.0% of Buffalo's occupied homes and renters 10.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $132,900 by its owner (±$29,190). The median renter pays $546 a month including utilities, and 51.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Buffalo | Putnam County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $132,900 ±$29,190 | $223,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $546 ±$162 | $952 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 51.4% ±22.3 pts | 35.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,196 ±$263 | $1,528 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 90.0% ±3.8 pts | 81.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 10.0% ±3.8 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Housing units | 552 ±126 | 24,963 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.7 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±42.6 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 69.7% ±10.2 pts | 75.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 27.7% ±10.2 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±6.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.7% ±2.2 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 13.9% ±11.7 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.7% ±5.3 pts | 5.0% | – |
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 do people in Buffalo work and get to work?
87.9% of Buffalo's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 24.0 minutes.
| Measure | Buffalo | Putnam County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 51.7% ±9.9 pts | 59.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.1% ±8.6 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.9% ±8.2 pts | 79.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.5% ±4.0 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 1.3% ±2.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.6% ±7.5 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.0 min ±4.8 | 27.3 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; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 202Putnam County | 5,203 | $78,461 |
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 West Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Buffalo is the 9,645th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 93rd-most populous of 230 in West Virginia.
Buffalo ranks 43rd of 138 places in West Virginia with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 93rd | 230 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 22nd | 102 |
| Residents per square mile | 90th | 146 |
| Median household income | 43rd | 138 |
| Per capita income | 89th | 144 |
| Median home value | 73rd | 142 |
| Median gross rent | 119th | 123 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 119th | 135 |
| Median age | 81st | 146 |
| Owner-occupied share | 12th | 146 |
| Travel time to work | 55th | 145 |
Buffalo's figures with every place in West Virginia (CSV)
Every place in West Virginia, 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?
24 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.