Buffalo, SD

Census Place

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2023 Population

282

14% 1-year decline

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

54.6

4.6% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

6.03%

1.13% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$81,607

13.9% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$112,500

10.7% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

184

9.8% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Buffalo, SD had a population of 282 people with a median age of 54.6 and a median household income of $81,607. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Buffalo, SD declined from 328 to 282, a −14% decrease and its median household income grew from $71,625 to $81,607, a 13.9% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Buffalo, SD are White (Non-Hispanic) (94.3%), Other (Non-Hispanic) (2.13%), White (Hispanic) (1.42%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.06%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (1.06%).

None of the households in Buffalo, SD reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.6% of the residents in Buffalo, SD are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Buffalo, SD was $112,500, and the homeownership rate was 77.6%.

Most people in Buffalo, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 7.97 minutes. The average car ownership in Buffalo, SD was 2 cars per household.

United States South Dakota Harding County, SD West South Dakota--Rapid City PUMA, SD

Population & Diversity

Buffalo, SD is home to a population of 282 people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.42% of Buffalo, SD residents were born outside of the country (4 people).

In 2023, there were 44.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (266 people) in Buffalo, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6 Other (Non-Hispanic) and 4 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

99.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.6% of Buffalo, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Buffalo, SD was 99.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Buffalo, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
266 ± 52
Other (Non-Hispanic)
6 ± 9
White (Hispanic)
4 ± 6

2.48%

Hispanic Population

7 people

2.48% of the people in Buffalo, SD are hispanic (7 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Buffalo, SD 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 South Dakota.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,032 ± 1,350 people
Guatemala
2,803 ± 1,298 people
Ethiopia
2,418 ± 1,206 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Dakota was Mexico, the natal country of 3,032 South Dakota residents, followed by Guatemala with 2,803 and Ethiopia with 2,418.

Foreign-Born Population

1.42%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

4 people

1.52%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

5 people

As of 2023, 1.42% of Buffalo, SD residents (4 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Buffalo, SD was 1.52%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
5 ± 15
Gulf War (1990s)
4 ± 6
Gulf War (2001-)
1 ± 14

Buffalo, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.25 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Buffalo, SD employs 184 people. The largest industries in Buffalo, SD are Retail Trade (44 people), Construction (35 people), and Public Administration (21 people), and the highest paying industries are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($250,001), Construction ($107,578), and Retail Trade ($59,688).

Males in South Dakota have an average income that is 1.29 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,552. The income inequality in South Dakota (measured using the Gini index) is 0.438, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

184

2023 Value

± 69

−9.8%

1 Year decline

± 56%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Buffalo, SD declined at a rate of −9.8%, from 204 employees to 184 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Buffalo, SD, are Transportation Occupations (37 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (29 people), and Material Moving Occupations (21 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Buffalo, SD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Dakota (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

184

2023 Value

± 69

−9.8%

1 Year decline

± 56%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Buffalo, SD declined at a rate of −9.8%, from 204 employees to 184 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Buffalo, SD, are Retail Trade (44 people), Construction (35 people), and Public Administration (21 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Buffalo, SD, though some of these residents may live in Buffalo, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$73,000

Median earning men ± $33,905

$35,000

Median earning women ± $15,480

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($250,001), Construction ($107,656), and Public Administration ($96,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($48,125), Other Services Except Public Administration ($46,250), and Public Administration ($41,000).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.37%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 450k people employed in South Dakota. This represents a 2.37% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 8.96%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Dakota.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.574% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.482% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (206k), Some college (148k), and Bachelors Degree (133k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Buffalo, SD was $112,500 in 2023, which is 0.371 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $101,600 to $112,500, a 10.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Buffalo, SD is 77.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Buffalo, SD have an average commute time of 7.97 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Buffalo, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$112,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$29,863

$125

Median Property Taxes

±$44

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, SD the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

77.6%

Homeownership

2023

60.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 77.6% of the housing units in Buffalo, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 78.1%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Census Tract 9687

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

The following map shows all of the places in Buffalo, SD colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$81,607

Median Household Income

± $16,142

161

Number of Households

± 45

In 2023, the median household income of the 161 households in Buffalo, SD grew to $81,607 from the previous year's value of $71,625.

The following chart displays the households in Buffalo, SD 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Buffalo, SD is from South Dakota.

0.438

2022 Wage GINI in South Dakota

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in South Dakota

In 2022, the income inequality in South Dakota was 0.438 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.26% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Dakota in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (82.1%)
Walked (8.7%)
Worked At Home (6.52%)

In 2023, 82.1% of workers in Buffalo, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (8.7%) and those who worked at home (6.52%).

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

7.97 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Buffalo, SD have a shorter commute time (7.97 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Buffalo, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

6.03% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Buffalo, SD (17 out of 282 people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Buffalo, SD 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
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

97.9% of the population of Buffalo, SD has health coverage, with 67.4% on employee plans, 2.48% on Medicaid, 10.6% on Medicare, 14.9% on non-group plans, and 2.48% on military or VA plans.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16% under 18 years, 14.2% between 18 and 34 years, 51.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 63.5% were men and 36.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

2.13%

Uninsured

67.4%

Employer Coverage

2.48%

Medicaid

10.6%

Medicare

14.9%

Non-Group

2.48%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Buffalo, SD grew by 16.3% from 1.83% to 2.13%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Buffalo, SD changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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