Map of Buffalo City, Wisconsin, 1857
Buffalo City’s story
167 years in pictures
Census counts: 184 in 1860, 1,007 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1857 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
- 1859Buffalo City is settled
Buffalo CityWI
A town of 1,009, settled in 1859.
Population
1,009
2025 Census estimate · −0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$260K
+6% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
57.5
years
Jobs based here
55
A commuter town
Is Buffalo City a good place to live?
Buffalo City’s best subject grades are a B for the outdoors and cost of living; its weakest is a C− for walkability. 31% of residents are 65 or older in Buffalo City, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 18%. Only 3 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Buffalo City. Buffalo City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,009 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
BelvidereMinneiska TownshipBuffalo City
How Buffalo City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Buffalo City is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 2% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & income55 jobs based hereCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 37% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →SchoolsBehind 58% of Wisconsin districts on tests and graduationC+Open →HealthSt. Elizabeth Medical Center 14.4 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 0% conserved landBOpen →HistoryCOpen →Civic life4.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 83° summer afternoons, 36″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 57.5–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Buffalo City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buffalo City, and how to reach them.
PowerRiverland Energy Cooperative16.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRiverview ParkNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Buffalo City’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCity of Buffalo City ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5462254622 100%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 City.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Buffalo City’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Buffalo City for work: only 2% work in town. At $61,000, Buffalo City’s median household income is below both Wisconsin’s towns ($87,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). 6.4% of workers work from home in Buffalo City.
2%work in town
| Buffalo City | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.4% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Buffalo City2%
Winona27%
Cochrane8%
Whitehall5%
Alma5%
16 mi
median commute distance
55
jobs based in Buffalo City
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade B
Homes in Buffalo City are worth about $260K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Buffalo City home is worth about $260,000, up 6% in a year, 23% below the Wisconsin typical home. 94% of Buffalo City households own their home.
$260KZillow home value
Typical home value
Buffalo City$260K
Wisconsin$337K
+6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Buffalo City
Buffalo City has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Only 4 of the 363 Wisconsin towns we compare have a higher July high than Buffalo City.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–29°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall39–59°
Oct 16
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Buffalo City faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Buffalo City is less healthy than 55% of U.S. towns
Buffalo City beats the Wisconsin average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
45%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Buffalo City | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
2 better26 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Buffalo City | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.3% | 9.9% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 77.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.2% | 6.6% |
St. Elizabeth Medical Center
14.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsB
Buffalo City has set aside 0.3% of its land for conservation
0.3 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Buffalo City’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0.3%conserved
| Buffalo City | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
0.3%
conserved · 8 of 3,109 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Foelsch Riverside Park | — | 17 |
| 2. Buffalo City Park | — | 9 |
| 3. Veterans Memorial Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →Minnesota Marine Art Museum and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buffalo City. Close and well known come first.
15 mi MuseumMinnesota Marine Art Museum
16 mi MuseumWinona County History Center
33 mi MuseumRochester Art Center
18 mi AttractionReads Landing Overlook
39 mi AttractionPreston OverlookSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Minnesota Marine Art Museum: EverettMath, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Winona County History Center: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rochester Art Center: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2 · Reads Landing Overlook: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Preston Overlook: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Buffalo City
18pages on Buffalo City
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Buffalo City
About 3 of every 100 Buffalo City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Buffalo City for work
Where Buffalo City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
55jobs based in Buffalo City
2%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Buffalo City
City in Wisconsin, United States
Buffalo City is a city in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, Buffalo City had a population of 1,007.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1859
- Area
- 6.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 669 ft
Questions about Buffalo City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Buffalo City, WI expensive?
That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($70,479 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.