Buffalo, North Dakota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 180, Buffalo's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Buffalo is a small community located in North Dakota, within Cass County. The total population is 180. It ranks as the 191st most populous out of 402 Census-designated places in North Dakota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Buffalo is 43.5 years. This is 21% higher than the state median of 35.9 years. 11.7% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Buffalo is $76,875. This is about the same as the state median of $76,657. It is also 5% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 7.8%. This is 28% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.8%. The unemployment rate is 2.0%. This is 28% lower than the state rate of 2.8%. The median home value is $179,700. Housing costs are 28% lower than the state median of $249,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.3x, Buffalo is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 92.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 48% higher than the state average of 62.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Buffalo has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 88.3% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 7.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (7.2% vs 4.7%).

Education

33.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 2% higher than the state rate of 32.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Buffalo, North Dakota is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against North Dakota state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 402 Census-designated places in North Dakota. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.