Is Buffalo Center, IA a Good Place to Live?
Buffalo Center is a small town of 925 in Iowa, with a median household income of $50,000 and a 9.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 86 (US average = 100), which is 14% below the national average.
Strengths: Buffalo Center stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Buffalo Center is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Buffalo Center city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 86.5Buffalo Center's overall cost of living index is 86.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Buffalo Center costs roughly 14% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Buffalo Center, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $96,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $638 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 74.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $50,000 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Buffalo Center is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Buffalo Center is served primarily by North Iowa Comm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Buffalo Center, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | North Iowa Comm School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 26.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Buffalo Center sees average highs of 22.7°F in January and 81.3°F in July, with 33.3 inches of annual precipitation and 48.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Buffalo Center, IA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 22.7°F |
| Average High — July | 81.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 48.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Buffalo Center, IA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 925 | — |
| Median Age | 59.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 9.1% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 17.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 97.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 13.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 33.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Buffalo Center
Buffalo Center, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: