Median Income
$81,868
household / year
Median Home Value
$260,500
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,037
gross / month
Cost of Living
104
national avg = 100

Is Buffalo, MN a Good Place to Live?

Buffalo is a small city of 16,288 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $81,868 and a 3.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 104 (US average = 100), which is 4% above the national average.

Strengths: Buffalo stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-).

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Buffalo is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Buffalo 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: 104.5

Buffalo's overall cost of living index is 104.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Buffalo costs roughly 4% more than the average American city.

Metric Buffalo, MN National Avg
Median Home Value $260,500 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,037 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 76.3% 65.9%
Median Household Income $81,868 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Very Safe

Buffalo's violent crime rate is 54.1 per 100,000 residents — 86% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
54.1 /100k
Property Crime
421.0 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Buffalo is served primarily by Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.7:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Buffalo, MN National Avg
School District Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools —
Elementary Schools 6 —
Middle Schools 1 —
High Schools 3 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 17.7:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 30.0% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 93.0% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Buffalo sees average highs of 21.3°F in January and 80.9°F in July, with 31.7 inches of annual precipitation and 39.8 inches of snow per year.

MetricBuffalo, MN
Average High — January21.3°F
Average High — July80.9°F
Annual Precipitation31.7"
Annual Snowfall39.8"

Demographics

MetricBuffalo, MNNational Avg
Population16,288—
Median Age39.238.9
Unemployment Rate3.9%3.7%
Avg Commute Time27.2 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)93.9%59.3%
Black or African American0.2%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino2.2%18.9%
Asian1.7%6.3%
Under 1824.6%22.2%
65 and over16.5%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Maple Lake, MN 8 mi Montrose, MN 8 mi Rockford, MN 8 mi St. Michael, MN 9 mi Monticello, MN 9 mi

ZIP Codes in Buffalo

Buffalo, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code:

55313

Buffalo vs Other Cities

Buffalo, MN vs Maple Lake, MN Buffalo, MN vs Montrose, MN Buffalo, MN vs Rockford, MN Buffalo, MN vs St. Michael, MN Buffalo, MN vs Monticello, MN

Frequently Asked Questions

Buffalo's cost of living index is 104, where 100 is the national average. That puts Buffalo roughly 4% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $260,500 and median rent is $1,037/month.
Buffalo's violent crime rate is 54.1 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 421.0 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Buffalo are operated by Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools. The district has 6 elementary, 1 middle, and 3 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.7:1. 30.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Buffalo, MN has a population of 16,288, a median household income of $81,868, and an unemployment rate of 3.9%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Buffalo averages 21.3°F in January and 80.9°F in July. Annual rainfall is 31.7 inches with about 39.8 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Buffalo, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: 55313.
The population of Buffalo, Minnesota is 16,288 with a median age of 39.2. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Buffalo: cost of living index 104 (100 = US average), median home $260,500, median household income $81,868, crime index 17 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated B-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Buffalo side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.