Buffalo Gap Historic District (Boundary Decrease) · National Register of Historic Places
Buffalo Gap’s story
139 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1887Buffalo Gap is settled
Buffalo GapSD
A town of 155, settled in 1887.
Photo: Teresa Fazio · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
155
2025 Census estimate · +22% since 2020
Median home value
$100K
Census ACS
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
66.3
years
Land area
0 sq mi
Is Buffalo Gap a good place to live?
Buffalo Gap’s midpoint age is 66.3 years, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 39.5 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher typical journey to work than Buffalo Gap. Norman B. Streeter Homestead and Buffalo Gap Historic District (Boundary Decrease) is on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo Gap has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
155 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Buffalo Gap: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buffalo Gap, and how to reach them.
PowerBlack Hills Energy15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBuffalo Gap water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Buffalo Gap’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personSouth Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCuster County AuditorCuster County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5772257722 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Buffalo Gap.
Who lives here
51% of residents are 65 or older
Four-year graduates: 27% of adults 25 and older here, 32% across South Dakota. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Buffalo Gap at 155 residents, up 22% since 2020.
66.3median age · SD 38
Buffalo GapSouth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
33%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school17%
Some college46%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Buffalo Gap | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.7% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 1.5% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3.8% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 32.8% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 18.3% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.7% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17.3% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 46.4% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.4% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.4% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.9% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
In Buffalo Gap, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
Expected losses in Buffalo Gap break down as 47% from wildfires and 37% from inland flooding.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Buffalo Gap, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
The range runs from 14° on a January night to 88° on a July afternoon, with about 32 inches of snow a winter.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–39°
Spring33–60°
Summer56–85°
Fall35–63°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Buffalo Gap is
In Buffalo Gap, 17% of adults binge drink. The town does better than the South Dakota average on 4 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 6. Also worth knowing: only 2 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Buffalo Gap. Among adults locally, 39% have high blood pressure and 14% have diabetes.
| Buffalo Gap | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
4 better16 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Buffalo Gap | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 72.5% | 65.5% |
| More adults seeing a dentist | 73.3% | 69.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.2% | 12.7% |
Fall River Hospital - Cah
9.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 22 attractions →Mount Rushmore National Memorial and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buffalo Gap. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi National MemorialMount Rushmore National Memorial1.9M visitors a year
Big draw28 mi LandmarkCrazy Horse Memorial
Big draw21 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
5 mi National ParkWind Cave National Park606K visitors a year
18 mi State parkCuster State Park
28 mi MountainBlack Elk PeakSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Crazy Horse Memorial: Jeffreylcooke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wind Cave National Park: USGS/USGov, Public domain · Custer State Park: Guimir, Public domain · Black Elk Peak: BHrock at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Buffalo Gap
16pages on Buffalo Gap
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Buffalo Gap; the nearest are
South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyUniversity or college · Public · Rapid City40.7 mi$10,500 in-state tuitionWestern Dakota Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rapid City40.9 mi$8,294 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Buffalo Gap residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
About Buffalo Gap
Town in South Dakota, United States
Buffalo Gap (Lakota: pté tȟathíyopa otȟúŋwahe; "buffalo gap village") is a town in Custer County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 131 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,261 ft
- ZIP code
- 57722
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Buffalo Gap
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Buffalo Gap, SD a good place to live?
Buffalo Gap has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.