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Buffalo, TX, Auction Barn IMG 2296Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Buffalo

Buffalo spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities

Buffalo’s city government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $915 per resident. Water and other utilities ($96,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Texas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.7M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$915
In 2022: $915, more than 83% of 346 similar cities
Long-term debt
$5.6M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
17
full-time · 2 part-time · March payroll $52,717
Typical tax bill
$1,129
1.54% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Buffalo is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $915 per resident, more than 83% of 346 similar cities.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,129 a year: 1.54% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.
Compared with similar places

$915 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them

Buffalo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($915 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $428, and the middle half spent $184–$750. Buffalo spent more than 83% of them.

Middle half of the group, $184–$750Median $428Buffalo

Includes sewer and trash ($71,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
346

Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Buffalo itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $915 per resident a year, or $2.51 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 30%From the state 28%Utility sales 15%Property taxes 15%Fees & charges 11%Interest, fines & other 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $680,000; interest on debt $152,000; payments to other governments $183,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.9 million.
About “Other”.41% of Buffalo’s day-to-day spending ($711,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Buffalo reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,129 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.54% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Buffalo$1,129
$1,129
typical bill a year
1.54%
effective rate
$73,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Buffalo’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Buffalo’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Buffalo →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Buffalo

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See buffalotex.com for Buffalo’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Buffalo yet.buffalotex.com ↗
Agendas

Buffalo’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on buffalotex.com ↗.

Who works for Buffalo

One full-time city employee for every 112 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,910).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Water & other utilities5
Administration & buildings4
Police3 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash2 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections2
Other1
17
full-time
2
part-time
$52,717
payroll for March 2022
$632,604
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$35,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
3
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Buffalo had 8.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 295 of the 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.1: Buffalo had more than 73% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Buffalo Independent School District

Buffalo’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Buffalo →
$14,183
per pupil · TX $12,815
1,027
students
$6.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,183 per pupil, $8,164 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 43%State 47%Federal 10%

Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Buffalo’s votes are counted by county

Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Buffalo alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Leon County’s results.

President · Leon County’s results9,060 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican88.1%7,982 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat11.4%1,033 votes

Others: 0.5% (45 votes).

Most votes in Leon County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Buffalo lies in Leon County. Every 2024 race in Leon County is on the county’s page.

Leon County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Buffalo

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Buffalo.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: buffalotex.com ↗
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
    Angelia Orr
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
    Charles Schwertner
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Greg Abbott
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Pete Sessions
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
    John CornynTed Cruz

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Buffalo’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitebuffalotex.com ↗

Questions about Buffalo’s government

How much does Buffalo spend per resident?

About $915 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $915 was more than 83% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Buffalo?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,129 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see buffalotex.com.

Who runs Buffalo’s government?

See buffalotex.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Buffalo yet.

How did Buffalo vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Buffalo alone. Leon County, where 100% of Buffalo lies, voted Trump 88.1%, Harris 11.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Buffalo?

17 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $52,717 (about $632,604 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Buffalo in the state legislature?

State Senate District 5 (Charles Schwertner) and State House District 13 (Angelia Orr). The House district also covers 50 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Buffalo’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →