US Route 11 - Pennsylvania, 2008
Buffalo Township’s story
Buffalo Township in pictures
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 5 maps from 1907 on.
Explore the history →
Buffalo TownshipPA
A town of 1,251. 34% more nonprofits per person than the typical Pennsylvania town.
7 bordering townsMap →
Population
1,251
2025 Census estimate · +2.2% since 2020
Median home value
$223K
Census ACS
Household income
$83K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
98
A commuter town
Is Buffalo Township a good place to live?
Buffalo Township’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a D− for walkability. Only 35 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns score lower on walkability. Buffalo Township’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 108 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns score lower on the outdoors. The biggest park or preserve is State Game Lands Number 254, at 658 acres. On civic life, just 132 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns do better. Buffalo Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Buffalo Township stand out
Where Buffalo Township beats most towns.
Small town
1,251 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Upper Paxton TownshipHalifax TownshipLiverpool TownshipWatts TownshipHowe TownshipGreenwood TownshipLiverpoolBuffalo Township
How Buffalo Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Buffalo Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.2 of 20; 1.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $223K, 2.8 years of the Harrisburg metro’s $81K median household incomeAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Jobs & income98 jobs based hereBOpen →HealthPenn State Health Hampden Medical Center 15.4 miles awayB−Open →SchoolsBeat 50% of Pennsylvania districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 6% conserved landDOpen →HistoryC+Open →Civic life4.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Buffalo Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buffalo Township, and how to reach them.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet7 providers85% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Buffalo Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections herePerry County Board of ElectionsPerry County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes17074, 1704517074 63% · 17045 37%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Buffalo Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of Buffalo Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Buffalo Township for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Harrisburg (13%), Howe Township (5%) and Susquehanna Township (5%). Half commute less than 19 miles.
2%work in town
| Buffalo Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Buffalo Township2%
Harrisburg13%
Howe Township5%
Susquehanna Township5%
Newport4%
19 mi
median commute distance
98
jobs based in Buffalo Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 4% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Buffalo Township
Buffalo Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 22° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
24″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–39°
Spring40–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall44–64°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Buffalo Township faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 28 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Buffalo Township.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesStrong wind
28
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsD
Buffalo Township has set aside 5.7% of its land for conservation
2.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Buffalo Township’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in Pennsylvania’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
5.7%conserved
| Buffalo Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.7% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
5.7%
conserved · 733 of 12,838 acres
2.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. State Game Lands Number 254 | 0.3 mi | 658 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
Buffalo Township ranks healthier than 52% of the country’s towns
Buffalo Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Buffalo Township.
52%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Buffalo Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 78% | 79% | 79% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better24 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Buffalo Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 7.5% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 7.7% |
Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center
15.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 60 attractions →Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument and 24 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buffalo Township. Close and well known come first.
23 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
25 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year37 mi Theme parkKnoebels Amusement Resort
25 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium
24 mi MuseumHershey's Chocolate World
25 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark ArenaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Hersheypark: Michael Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hersheypark Stadium: 45BearsFan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hershey's Chocolate World: Phillyfan0419, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hersheypark Arena: Hersheyarena4ever at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Buffalo Township
18pages on Buffalo Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Buffalo Township; the nearest are
Central Penn CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Summerdale15.1 mi$19,854 tuitionHarrisburg Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Harrisburg16.5 mi$6,975 in-state tuitionPennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgUniversity or college · Public · Middletown25.9 mi$15,972 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Buffalo Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Buffalo Township for work
Where Buffalo Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
98jobs based in Buffalo Township
2%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Buffalo Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Buffalo Township is a township in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,225 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 20 sq mi
Questions about Buffalo Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Buffalo Township, PA a good place to live?
34% more nonprofits per person than the typical Pennsylvania town.
Is Buffalo Township, PA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.