Buffalo, MN

City in Wright County, MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

16,499

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

38.6

years ∙ half population younger than 38.6, half older

Diversity Index

15.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

4.3%

foreign-born population

95.7%Native

4.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Buffalo is a city within Wright County, Minnesota, United States.

Location

City in Wright County, MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC45.179510° N, 93.863995° W

DMS45° 10′ 46.24″ N, 93° 51′ 50.38″ W

Population Density & area

2,126/sq mi (820.8/km²)

Total Area

9.9 sq mi (25.63 km²)

Land Area

7.76 sq mi (20.1 km²) · 78.4%

Water Area

2.14 sq mi (5.53 km²) · 21.6%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.6% male

Male 48.6%

Female 51.4%

males per 100 females

Buffalo 94.4

Wright County 103.5

Minnesota 100.4

Nativity

4.3%

foreign-born population

95.7%Native

4.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Buffalo 4.3%

Wright County 4.5%

Minnesota 8.7%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

38.6

years ∙ half population younger than 38.6, half older

Buffalo

38.6

Wright County

37.6

Minnesota

38.8

Dependency ratio

70.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Buffalo 70.4

Wright County 69.3

Minnesota 67.1

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Buffalo	Wright County	Minnesota
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	24%	27.2%	22.9%
Working age (18-64)	58.7%	59%	59.8%
Senior (65+)	17.3%	13.8%	17.3%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	70.4	69.3	67.1
Child dependency ratio	41	46	38.2
Old-age dependency ratio	29.4	23.3	28.9

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

91.7%

Black

0.2%

Asian

1.9%

Hispanic

2.5%

Other

3.7%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

15.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Buffalo 15.7%

Wright County 22.2%

Minnesota 41%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Buffalo population

Racial and ethnic composition — Buffalo vs Wright County vs Minnesota. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Buffalo	Wright County	Minnesota
Hispanic or Latino	2.5%	3.6%	6.4%
Mexican	2%	2.5%	3.9%
Puerto Rican	0.2%	0.1%	0.3%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.3%	0.9%	2%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.5%	96.4%	93.6%
One race	94.6%	92.7%	89.1%
White	91.7%	88%	75.9%
Black or African American	0.2%	2.3%	6.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.6%	0.2%	0.7%
Asian	1.9%	1.8%	5.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0.2%	0.3%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.9%	3.7%	4.5%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

68% family

Family 68%

Non family 32%

% family households

Buffalo 68%

Wright County 71.9%

Minnesota 62.3%

Average household size

2.54

persons per household

Buffalo

2.54

Wright County

2.72

Minnesota

2.43

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Buffalo population

	Buffalo	Wright County	Minnesota
Total households	6,329	54,010	2,307,955
Average houshold size	2.54	2.72	2.43
Family households	4,302	38,848	1,438,404
Average family size	3.01	3.23	3.04
Married couple family	3,131	32,188	1,129,003
Other families	1,171	6,660	309,401
Male householder	362	2,054	102,922
Female householder	809	4,606	206,479
Non-family households	2,027	15,162	869,551
One-person households	1,468	12,102	686,475
Male householder	712	5,986	320,418
Senior (65+) living alone	297	1,843	97,557
Female householder	756	6,116	366,057
Senior (65+) living alone	381	3,253	186,557
Other living arrangements	559	3,060	183,076

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

6,506

housing units

Buffalo 6,506

Wright County 57,416

Minnesota 2,545,030

Occupancy status

97.3% occupied

Occupied 97.3%

Vacant 2.7%

vacancy rate

Buffalo 2.7%

Wright County 5.9%

Minnesota 9.3%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

78.9%

Single family houses

78.9%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

17.2%

Mobile homes

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1993

Half of houses were built before 1993, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

7.9%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

13.4%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

42.6%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

36.2%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Buffalo	Wright County	Minnesota
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.3	6.8	6.1
1–3 rooms	11%	6.6%	14.9%
4–6 rooms	43.3%	39.6%	41.4%
7+ rooms	45.6%	53.7%	43.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.3%	0.7%	2.7%
1 bedroom	6.8%	5.4%	11.4%
2 bedrooms	26.2%	19.7%	24.5%
3 bedrooms	34.3%	35.4%	32.2%
4+ bedrooms	31.4%	38.8%	29.1%
At a glance
Median year built	1993	1996	1979
Total housing units	6,506	57,416	2,545,030

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

74.3% owners

Renter-occupied 25.7%

Owner-occupied 74.3%

homeownership rate

Buffalo 74.3%

Wright County 84.1%

Minnesota 72.2%

Average household size

2.71

Owner-occupied

2.05

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Buffalo 2.71

Wright County 2.83

Minnesota 2.59

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Buffalo	Wright County	Minnesota
Total occupied units	6,329	54,010	2,307,955
Year moved in
2020 or later	26.7%	21.8%	23.8%
2010 to 2019	42.5%	39.9%	38.9%
2000 to 2009	18%	20.8%	16.1%
1999 or earlier	12.7%	17.5%	21.2%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.2%	98.5%	97.7%
1.01 to 1.50	1.2%	1.3%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0.5%	0.2%	0.8%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	3.9%	3%	6.7%
1 vehicle	28.9%	22.5%	30.8%
2 vehicles	46.2%	42.9%	39.5%
3 or more vehicles	21%	31.6%	23.1%
House heating fuel used
Gas	82.5%	81.7%	75.9%
Electricity	14.6%	14.8%	19.4%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.8%	1.2%	1.3%
All other fuels	0.7%	1.8%	2.5%
No fuel used	1.5%	0.5%	0.9%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.2%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.4%	0.3%	0.7%
No telephone service available	0.6%	0.5%	0.7%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$314,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Buffalo

$314,400

Wright County

$358,900

Minnesota

$329,300

Housing Cost Burden

32.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

32.2%

Owners without a mortgage

14.9%

Renters

45.5%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Buffalo	Wright County	Minnesota
Property value
Median Value	$314,400	$358,900	$329,300
Under $100,000	5.8%	5.4%	7.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	8.3%	5.3%	13.3%
$200,000 - $300,000	31.2%	22.7%	22.6%
$300,000 - $500,000	45%	47%	36.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	7.5%	17.9%	17%
$1,000,000 and more	2.1%	1.8%	2.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	74.8%	71.1%	64%
Without a mortgage	25.2%	28.9%	36%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$2,047	$2,098	$1,947
Without a mortgage	$661	$706	$698
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,182	$1,288	$1,280

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

32%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Buffalo 32%

Wright County 34.4%

Minnesota 39.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.2%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Buffalo 5.2%

Wright County 5.5%

Minnesota 6.1%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

3,779

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

7.2%

K–12

78.8%

College / Undergraduate

9.6%

Graduate / Professional

4.5%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

24.1%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Buffalo

24.1%

Wright County

27.6%

Minnesota

39.1%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Buffalo	Wright County	Minnesota
Total enrolled (age 3+)	3,779	37,474	1,385,086
Nursery / preschool	7.2%	6.6%	6.2%
K–12	78.8%	78.2%	69.9%
Kindergarten	5.5%	7.1%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	27.5%	22.6%	20.6%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	26.6%	24.2%	21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	19.1%	24.3%	22.4%
College or graduate school	14%	15.2%	23.9%
College, undergraduate	9.6%	11.8%	18.8%
Graduate, professional school	4.5%	3.5%	5.1%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	24.1%	27.6%	39.1%
School type
Public school	77.9%	85.6%	83.3%
Private school	22.1%	14.4%	16.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

11,151

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

2.5%

HS graduate

27.9%

Some college no degree

22.1%

Associates degree

12.7%

Bachelors degree

18.5%

Graduate or professional degree

13.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

62% · 38%

9th-12th, no diploma

22.6% · 77.4%

HS graduate

51.4% · 48.6%

Some college no degree

55.4% · 44.6%

Associates degree

36.6% · 63.4%

Bachelors degree

48% · 52%

Graduate or professional degree

45.1% · 54.9%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Buffalo	Wright County	Minnesota
Population (25+)	11,151	97,157	3,923,744
Less than 9th grade	2.7%	1.4%	2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	2.5%	4.1%	3.4%
High school diploma or GED	27.9%	26.5%	23.3%
Some college, no degree	22.1%	20.3%	19.5%
Associate's degree	12.7%	13.3%	11.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32%	34.4%	39.4%
Bachelor's degree	18.5%	25.2%	25.6%
Graduate or professional	13.5%	9.2%	13.8%
High School or higher	94.8%	94.6%	93.9%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$57,529

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$49,018

Some college or associates

$48,293

Bachelors degree

$66,081

Graduate or professional degree

$85,864

Poverty Rate

0.4%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

29.7%

HS graduate

10%

Some college or associates

10.7%

Bachelors degree or higher

0.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Buffalo	Wright County	Minnesota
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$57,529	$64,287	$58,615
Less than high school graduate	$—	$51,505	$36,257
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$49,018	$51,316	$42,951
Some college or associate's degree	$48,293	$60,039	$51,845
Bachelor's degree	$66,081	$79,249	$73,301
Graduate or professional degree	$85,864	$87,787	$89,644
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	29.7%	14.3%	23.7%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	10%	7.5%	12.3%
Some college or associate's degree	10.7%	4.8%	7.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	0.4%	1.5%	3.2%

Insights for Buffalo, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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