← Map/← South Dakota/Counties/Buffalo

Buffalo
South Dakota

Population

$43K

Median Income

—

Median Home

D+31

Politics

Economy

Median Household Income$43K

This county

national avg ~$75K

Poverty Rate39.7%

This county

national avg ~11.5%

Unemployment Rate4.5%

This county

national avg ~3.8%

GDP per Capita$56,597

Federal Spending per Capita$11,630

Median Individual Earnings$30K

This county

national avg $45K

Professional/Management Workers33.6%

Average Adjusted Gross Income$36K

Avg Credit Score662

Work From Home %12.2%

This county

national avg 17.0%

Population Under 1838.0%

This county

national avg 22.0%

Single-Person Households28.5%

This county

national avg 28.0%

Income (20th Percentile)$10K

Income (80th Percentile)$78K

Income (95th Percentile)$113K

Bachelor's Degree or Higher8.3%

This county

national avg 35.0%

Less Than High School17.6%

This county

national avg 11.0%

Knowledge Economy GDP %0.8%

Dependency Ratio1.72

Medicare Spending / Person$1,751

SS Benefits / Person$1,954

Education Wage Premium3.97x

Median Earnings (Bachelor's)$40K

Median Earnings (Graduate)$109K

Median Earnings (HS Diploma)$28K

Public Assistance Recipients9.8%

Average Annual Wage$51K

Housing

Market Rent (ZORI)$575/mo

This county

$1150/mo state avg

$1400/mo national

Property Tax Rate0.56%

This county

1.08% state avg

1.10% national

Affordability & Supply

HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR)$1,204/mo

Home Value to Income Ratio2.3x income

Severely Cost-Burdened Households16.5%

Homeownership Rate49.0%

This county

national avg ~65%

Health

Food Insecurity20.2%

This county

national avg ~11%

Food Environment Index5.3 / 10

This county

higher = better access

Primary Care Shortage Score17

This county

national avg 5

Mental Health Shortage Score19

Dental Care Shortage Score20

Healthcare Shortage Score18.7

Obesity Rate (BRFSS)49.0%

This county

national avg 32.0%

Smoking Rate (BRFSS)32.1%

This county

national avg 14.0%

Poor Health Rate (BRFSS)32.3%

This county

national avg 18.0%

Physical Inactivity (BRFSS)37.6%

This county

national avg 24.0%

High Blood Pressure (BRFSS)37.9%

This county

national avg 32.0%

Active Physicians1

ER Visits per 1,000 Medicare Patients1104 / 1,000

Medicare Cost per Beneficiary$16,505

Uninsured (under 65)10.3%

This county

national avg ~10%

Adults with Depression22.0%

Education

HS Diploma Holders332

Bachelor's Degree Holders92

HS Completion Rate82.4%

This county

national avg ~85%

Safety

Violent Crime Rate5.0 / 1,000

This county

national avg ~4.0

Traffic Fatalities2

Social Vulnerability (CDC SVI)99th pct

Drug Overdose Deaths (2024)0.0 / 100K

Climate & Air Quality

Natural Amenity Scale-1.6

January Sunshine0.26

January Temperature-1.49

Average Temp48°F

Avg High Temp61°F

Avg Low Temp35°F

Annual Precipitation19.8 in/yr

Avg Storm Events5.6 storms/yr

Avg Annual Storm Damage$3K

Drought Index (2022)0.12

Heating Degree Days7,129 HDD/yr

This county

national avg ~4,500 HDD/yr

Cooling Degree Days889 CDD/yr

This county

national avg ~1,200 CDD/yr

Heating Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)7,960 HDD/yr

Cooling Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)789 CDD/yr

Avg Tornadoes / Year0.2

Avg Flood Events / Year0.8

Avg Hail Events / Year0.6

Avg Hurricane Events / Year0.00

Avg Wildfire Events / Year0.0

Avg Winter Storms / Year0.0

Avg Heat Events / Year0.0

Natural Hazard Risk (FEMA)16 / 100

Community Resilience (FEMA)0 / 100

Federal Disaster Declarations21 since 1953

Fine Particulate Pollution (PM2.5)5.1 µg/m³

This county

EPA standard 9 µg/m³

Outdoor & Recreation

Historic Places (NRHP)7 properties

Internet & Remote Work

Households with 100Mbps+100.0%

This county

national avg 75.0%

Cellular-Only Internet23.0%

This county

national avg 8.0%

Commute & Transit

Remote Workers71 workers

Public Transit Commuters0 workers

Walk to Work20 workers

Extreme Commutes (90+ min)0 workers

Walk to Work3.4%

Families & Childcare

Childcare Cost Burden41.6%

This county

national median ~27% of household income

Childcare Centers12.6 per 10K residents

Civic & Community

Voter Turnout44.5%

This county

national avg ~55%

Volunteering Rate1.0%

Income Inequality (Gini)7.939

Nonprofit Organizations6

Veterans Share8.3%

This county

national avg 7.0%

Married Adults29.4%

Never-Married Adults56.6%

Divorced Adults7.3%

Native American Population79.2%

Membership Associations0.0 per 10K residents

Debt Burden

Avg Mortgage Balance$32K

Avg Student Loan Balance$4K

Avg Credit Card Balance$3K

Loan Delinquency Rate45.4%

This county

national avg 4.0%

Innovation

Inventor Rate0.24%

Politics

D+31

2024 Presidential · South Dakota was R+27 statewide

vs South Dakota State

Income tax

NoneSame (state law)

Property tax

0.56%1.08% state avg

Politics

D+31R+27

COL Index

County data95 (state)

Population & Migration

Net Domestic Migration 2023

↑ +33

More people arriving than leaving

Economic Mobility

35%

chance a low-income child reaches the middle class

Source: Opportunity Insights

Real Estate

Find Homes in Buffalo County

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Local News — Buffalo

South Dakota Searchlight · 16‏/02‏/2026

‘Gaining back our identity’: Standing Rock Sioux Tribe looks to expand buffalo herd

Reaching a goal of 1000 buffalo will require more land and fencing. An alliance of tribal nations ma…

MaxPreps · قبل 3 أسابيع

Harding County High School (Buffalo, SD) Basketball

Game Results ... On Tuesday, Mar 3, 2026, the Harding County Varsity Boys Basketball team won their …

KOTA Territory News · 06‏/07‏/2026

Harding County Community Foundation fundraises for sporting opportunity

A fundraiser is underway to modernize the tennis courts in Buffalo, South Dakota, adding pickleball …

Buffalo’s Fire · قبل أسبوعين (2)

Buffalo Plains Recovery gets South Dakota technology grant

Buffalo Plains Recovery, based in Rapid City, South Dakota, announced in an Aug. 13 press release th…

news8000.com · 01‏/06‏/2026

Motorcycle crash kills South Dakota man in Buffalo County

The 56-year-old man from Sioux Falls lost control of his motorcycle at around 6 p.m. on Highway 37 n…

Environment America · 26‏/10‏/2025

A buffalo ranch in the heart of South Dakota cattle country

That's where Dan O'Brien and his clan come in. They can afford to bring buffalo back to South Dakota…

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Data: Census ACS, BLS, Zillow, USDA Natural Amenities, OpenElections 2024, CMS, NCES. Vintage 2022–2025. News via Google News.

BuffaloSouth Dakota

Buffalo
South Dakota