Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 50, established in 1909.
No town among the 36 in South Dakota we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Buffalo Township. 25% of the land in Buffalo Township is conserved, above both the South Dakota town median (3.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Buffalo Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 380 in 1950, a peak of 652 in 1960, 346 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1899 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buffalo Township, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Buffalo Township.
17 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Buffalo Township has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 5° and about 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Buffalo Township beats the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 14% of Buffalo Township adults report frequent mental distress, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 17%. 30% of Buffalo Township adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Buffalo Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Buffalo Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.6% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.6% | 84.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.3% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Buffalo Township; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Buffalo Township residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Buffalo Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.