BuffaloIL
This town of 437 people was settled in 1868.
Is Buffalo a good place to live?
Buffalo’s typical rent is $533 a month, below both the Illinois town median ($1,129 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Buffalo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
437 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Buffalo: who provides what
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 Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Buffalo.
About half of Buffalo’s working residents commute to Springfield
In Buffalo, the middle household income is $56,000. Most working residents leave Buffalo for work: only 3% work in town. For residents here, the share who live below the poverty line is 17%. The top destinations are Springfield (49%), Decatur (10%) and Clear Lake Township (4%).
| Buffalo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.2% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The climate in Buffalo brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The range runs from 19° on a January night to 86° on a July afternoon, with about 21 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Buffalo is
Among adults in Buffalo, 11% have diabetes. Of 32 CDC measures, Buffalo beats the Illinois average on 5 and trails it on 2. Two figures for adults here: 39% have obesity, 21% get no exercise outside work.
| Buffalo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 23% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Buffalo | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.3% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.8% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.2% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Moderate risk in Buffalo, with inland flooding at the top
Expected losses in Buffalo break down as 37% from inland flooding and 15% from tornadoes. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage here than in 56% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Buffalo households in 5 declared disasters; the latest was in 2023.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median home in Buffalo sells for about $178K
In Buffalo, 70% of households are owner-occupiers.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buffalo Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Lincoln Tomb and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buffalo. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi LandmarkLincoln Tomb
13 mi National Historic SiteLincoln Home National Historic Site124K visitors a year13 mi National MonumentSpringfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument
13 mi MuseumOld State Capitol State Historic Site
24 mi MuseumLincoln's New Salem
14 mi MuseumIllinois State MuseumPhoto credits
Lincoln Tomb: David Jones, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Lincoln Home National Historic Site: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Old State Capitol State Historic Site: Shadow2700 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Lincoln's New Salem: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Illinois State Museum: Mike Linksvayer from Oakland, California, CC0
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Everything we know about Buffalo
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Buffalo
About 4 of every 100 Buffalo residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
97% of working residents leave Buffalo for work
Where Buffalo’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Buffalo
Village in Illinois, United States
Buffalo is a village in Mechanicsburg Township in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Buffalo had a population of 447. It is part of the Springfield, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 611 ft
- ZIP code
- 62515
Questions about Buffalo
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Buffalo, IL a good place to live?
Buffalo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.