Buffalo Center, IA

Census Place

2024 Population

911

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

59.4

2.06% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.16%

1.12% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$52,917

6.96% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Buffalo Center, IA is home to a population of 911 people, from which 99.1% are citizens.

As of 2024, 0.878% of Buffalo Center, IA residents were born outside of the country (8 people).

In 2024, there were 55.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (884 people) in Buffalo Center, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 16 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 10 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.1%

2024 Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.1% of Buffalo Center, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Buffalo Center, IA was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Buffalo Center, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Buffalo Center, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
884 ± 197
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
16 ± 15
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
10 ± 11

1.76%

Hispanic Population

16 people

1.76% of the people in Buffalo Center, IA are hispanic (16 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Buffalo Center, IA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
44,333 ± 5,134 people
India
11,889 ± 2,672 people
Guatemala
8,189 ± 2,219 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 44,333 Iowa residents, followed by India with 11,889 and Guatemala with 8,189.

Foreign-Born Population

0.878%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

8 people

1.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

16 people

As of 2024, 0.878% of Buffalo Center, IA residents (8 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Buffalo Center, IA was 1.6%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Buffalo Center, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
41 ± 40
Vietnam
23 ± 22
Gulf War (2001-)
5 ± 16

Buffalo Center, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 1.78 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Buffalo Center, IA.

Economy

The economy of Buffalo Center, IA employs 384 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Buffalo Center, IA were Construction (61 people), Manufacturing (52 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (44 people), and the highest paying industries were Construction ($57,716), Transportation & Warehousing ($52,019), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($51,827).

Employment

Occupations

384

2024 Value

± 94

−11.3%

1 Year decline

± 36.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Buffalo Center, IA declined at a rate of −11.3%, from 433 employees to 384 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Buffalo Center, IA, are Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (38 people), Sales & Related Occupations (35 people), and Production Occupations (35 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Buffalo Center, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

384

2024 Value

± 94

−11.3%

1 Year decline

± 36.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Buffalo Center, IA declined at a rate of −11.3%, from 433 employees to 384 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Buffalo Center, IA, are Construction (61 people), Manufacturing (52 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (44 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Buffalo Center, IA, though some of these residents may live in Buffalo Center, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,167

Median earning men ± $7,562

$29,167

Median earning women ± $10,489

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($121,500), Construction ($57,716), and Wholesale Trade ($50,625).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($50,865), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($40,446), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($28,750).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Buffalo Center, IA was $100,500 in 2024, which is 0.302 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $93,800 to $100,500, a 7.14% increase. The homeownership rate in Buffalo Center, IA is 72.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Buffalo Center, IA have an average commute time of 19.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Buffalo Center, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$100,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$15,781

$347

Median Property Taxes

±$91

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Buffalo Center, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Buffalo Center, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

72.6%

Homeownership

2024

60.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 72.6% of the housing units in Buffalo Center, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 72.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Buffalo Center, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$52,917

Median Household Income

± $20,511

478

Number of Households

± 131

In 2024, the median household income of the 478 households in Buffalo Center, IA grew to $52,917 from the previous year's value of $49,474.

The following chart displays the households in Buffalo Center, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $100k - $125k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Buffalo Center, IA is from Iowa.

0.435

2024 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2024, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.435 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.29% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (66.3%)
Walked (24.5%)
Carpooled (6.79%)

In 2024, 66.3% of workers in Buffalo Center, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (24.5%) and those who carpooled to work (6.79%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

19.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Buffalo Center, IA have a shorter commute time (19.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.79% of the workforce in Buffalo Center, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Buffalo Center, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Buffalo Center, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Buffalo Center, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.16% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Buffalo Center, IA (72 out of 882 people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Males 16 - 17 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Buffalo Center, IA is White, followed by Black and Native American.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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