Is Buffalo, SD a Good Place to Live?
Buffalo is a small town of 328 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $71,625 and a 3.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 87 (US average = 100), which is 13% below the national average.
Strengths: Buffalo stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
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: 87.1Buffalo's overall cost of living index is 87.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Buffalo costs roughly 13% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Buffalo, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $101,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $630 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 78.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $71,625 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Buffalo 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 is served primarily by Harding County School District 31-1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.0:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Buffalo, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Harding County School District 31-1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Buffalo sees average highs of 31.6°F in January and 86.1°F in July, with 13.4 inches of annual precipitation and 51.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Buffalo, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 31.6°F |
| Average High — July | 86.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 51.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Buffalo, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 328 | — |
| Median Age | 52.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 9.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 95.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Buffalo
Buffalo, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: