Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,146, settled in 1857.
Buffalo’s best subject grades are an A+ for safety and an A for cost of living and civic life; its weakest is a D− for schools. Only 5 of Iowa’s 276 towns score lower on walkability. Buffalo High School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Buffalo beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Elementary School | PK–5 | 242 |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Buffalo is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 368 in 1870, 1,176 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 5 maps from 1912 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buffalo, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Buffalo.
Its public schools are run by the Davenport Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 242 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Buffalo’s property crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents, against 7.3 in Iowa’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Of the 116 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower violent crime rate than Buffalo.
| Buffalo | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 7.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Buffalo home is worth about $166,000, up 2.4% in a year, 30% below the Iowa typical home. Buffalo’s median rent is $804 a month, close to Iowa’s towns ($911 a month) and below U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Buffalo | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $804 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Buffalo has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 14° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 68 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Buffalo.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.1% of working residents work locally in Buffalo. Jobs based in Buffalo grew to 531 in 2023, 90 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Buffalo is 29 minutes.
| Buffalo | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Buffalo beats the Iowa average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 22% of Buffalo adults binge drink.
| Buffalo | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 36% |
| What stands out | Buffalo | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.9% | 11.6% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 71.3% | 66.6% |
| More adults with arthritis | 29.8% | 27% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.0 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Buffalo Outing Club, at 31 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buffalo Outing Club | — | 31 |
| 2. Buffalo Shores State Recreation Area | — | 27 |
| 3. Dodge Access | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buffalo. Close and well known come first.
12 mi Ancient siteRock Island Arsenal
33 mi MuseumHerbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
10 mi MuseumBlack Hawk State Historic Site
11 mi MuseumFigge Art Museum77K visitors a year
33 mi National Historic SiteHerbert Hoover National Historic Site107K visitors a year
10 mi MuseumPutnam MuseumRock Island Arsenal: Robert A, Ryan, J. Ceronia, and Bruce A. Harms, Photographers, Public domain · Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum: Shadow2700, Public domain · Black Hawk State Historic Site: Bill Whittaker (talk). Original uploader was Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Figge Art Museum: Ctjf83, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herbert Hoover National Historic Site: Billwhittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Putnam Museum: Ctjf83 of English Wikipedia (log), Public domain
6 within 15 miles of the center of Buffalo
About 1 of every 100 Buffalo residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
City in Iowa, United States
Buffalo is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,176 at the 2020 census. Buffalo is located on the Mississippi River. The city is a part of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
.jpg){kind=link}
