County population in 2016: 49,067 (68% urban, 32% rural); it was 42,259 in 2000County owner-occupied with a mortgage or a loan houses and condos in 2010: 7,392 County owner-occupied free and clear houses and condos in 2010: 4,033 County owner-occupied houses and condos in 2000: 10,124 Renter-occupied apartments: 6,612 (it was 5,806 in 2000)
% of renters here:
36%
State:
33%
Land area: 968 sq. mi.
Water area: 7.3 sq. mi.
Population density: 51 people per square mile (average).
Mar. 2016 cost of living index in Buffalo County: 81.2 (low, U.S. average is 100)
Estimated median household income in 2016: $56,627 ($36,782 in 1999)
This county:
$56,627
Nebraska:
$56,927
Median contract rent in 2016 for apartments: $599 (lower quartile is $466, upper quartile is $781)
This county:
$599
State:
$633
Estimated median house or condo value in 2016: $168,163 (it was $87,600 in 2000)
Buffalo:
$168,163
Nebraska:
$148,100
Lower value quartile - upper value quartile: $109,433 - $244,202
Mean price in 2016:
Detached houses: $203,318
Here:
$203,318
State:
$184,633
Townhouses or other attached units: $178,251
Here:
$178,251
State:
$173,063
In 2-unit structures: $156,539
Here:
$156,539
State:
$142,451
In 3-to-4-unit structures: $147,015
Here:
$147,015
State:
$152,287
Mobile homes: $26,712
Here:
$26,712
State:
$34,052
Median monthly housing costs for homes and condos with a mortgage: $1,325 Median monthly housing costs for units without a mortgage: $498
Institutionalized population: 613
Crime in 2005 (reported by the sheriff's office or county police, not the county total):
Murders: 0
Rapes: 2
Robberies: 0
Assaults: 7
Burglaries: 42
Thefts: 185
Auto thefts: 20
Crime in 2004 (reported by the sheriff's office or county police, not the county total):
Murders: 0
Rapes: 6
Robberies: 0
Assaults: 17
Burglaries: 51
Thefts: 143
Auto thefts: 14
Health of residents in Buffalo County based on CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Questionnaires from 2003 to 2012:
General health status score of residents in this county from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) is 3.5. This is about average. 71.2% of residents exercised in the past month. This is about average. 39.9% of residents smoked 100+ cigarettes in their lives. This is less than average. 56.2% of adult residents drank alcohol in the past 30 days. This is less than average. Average weight of males is 204 pounds. This is more than average. Average weight of females is 160 pounds. This is about average.
Single-family new house construction building permits:
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2016: $2,663 (1.5%) Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2016: $2,133 (1.5%)
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2016: 12.5%
Buffalo County:
12.5%
Nebraska:
11.4%
(10.7% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 47.2% for Black residents, 21.8% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 42.2% for American Indian residents, 50.0% for Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander residents, 14.8% for other race residents, 24.9% for two or more races residents)
Median age of residents in 2016: 32.7 years old
(Males: 32.2 years old, Females: 33.4 years old)
(Median age for: White residents: 34.4 years old, Black residents: 28.1 years old, American Indian residents: 41.0 years old, Asian residents: 22.9 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 23.3 years old, Other race residents: 28.3 years old)
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Buffalo County is $442 a month. Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $582 a month. Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $792 a month.
Notable locations in this county outside city limits:
Notable locations in Buffalo County: York Feedlot (A), Wright's Feedyard (B), Double Nickel Campground (C), Western Campground (D), Henderson/York KOA Kampground (E), York Rest Area - Westbound (F), York Rest Area - Eastbound (G). Display/hide their locations on the map
Churches in Buffalo County include: Ebenezer Church (A), Emmanuel Church (B), New Heights Assembly of God Church (C), Saint Johns Lutheran Church (D), Arborville Congregational Church (E), Saint Pauls Church (F), Council Church (G). Display/hide their locations on the map
Cemeteries: Cashler Cemetery (1), Cedar Lawn Cemetery (2), Ebenezer Cemetery (3), Arborville Cemetery (4), Vernon Cemetery (5), Greenwood Cemetery (6), Bethesda Cemetery (7). Display/hide their locations on the map
Lakes, reservoirs, and swamps: Freeman Lake (A), Sacks Lake (B), Recharge Lake (C), Driewer Reservoir (D), Rech-Smith Reservoir (E), Bjerrum Reservoir (F), Carpenter Reservoir (G), Tonniges Reservoir (H). Display/hide their locations on the map
Streams, rivers, and creeks: Galaway Creek (A), Antelope Creek (B), Dry Run (C), Stone Creek (D), Wildcat Creek (E), Coon Branch (F), Bear Creek (G). Display/hide their locations on the map
Parks in Buffalo County include: Hidden Marsh State Wildlife Management Area (1), County Line Federal Waterfowl Production Area (2), Sinninger Federal Waterfowl Production Area (3), Freeman Lake Federal Waterfowl Production Area (4), Waco Federal Waterfowl Production Area (5), Spikerush State Wildlife Management Area (6), Kirkpatrick Basin North State Wildlife Management Area (7), Kirkpatrick Basin South State Wildlife Management Area (8), Renquist Basin State Wildlife Management Area (9). Display/hide their locations on the map
Current college students: 5,852 People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 94.0% People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 35.1%
Number of foreign born residents: 2,090 (26.3% naturalized citizens)
Buffalo County:
4.3%
Whole state:
7.0%
Year of entry for the foreign-born population
2010 or later: 833
2000 to 2009: 590
1990 to 1999: 394
1980 to 1989: 339
1970 to 1979: 126
Before 1970: 110
Note: State values scaled to Buffalo County population
Mean travel time to work (commute): 15.6 minutes
Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 91.2%
Housing units in structures:
One, detached: 13,538
One, attached: 1,007
Two: 730
3 or 4: 1,178
5 to 9: 978
10 to 19: 545
20 to 49: 547
50 or more: 288
Mobile homes: 1,295
Housing units in Buffalo County with a mortgage: 6,876 (91 second mortgage, 564 home equity loan, 5 both second mortgage and home equity loan) Houses without a mortgage: 4,891
Here:
60.0% with mortgage
State:
60.4% with mortgage
Religion statistics for Buffalo County
Religion
Adherents
Congregations
Mainline Protestant
9,505
19
Catholic
9,043
7
Evangelical Protestant
8,313
34
Other
613
3
Orthodox
90
1
None
18,538
-
Buffalo County Religion Details
Source: Clifford Grammich, Kirk Hadaway, Richard Houseal, Dale E.Jones, Alexei Krindatch, Richie Stanley and Richard H.Taylor. 2012. 2010 U.S.Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study. Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. Jones, Dale E., et al. 2002. Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Nashville, TN: Glenmary Research Center.
Food Environment Statistics:
Number of grocery stores: 7
Buffalo County:
1.56 / 10,000 pop.
State:
2.60 / 10,000 pop.
Number of supercenters and club stores: 1
Here:
0.22 / 10,000 pop.
Nebraska:
0.21 / 10,000 pop.
Number of convenience stores (no gas): 2
This county:
0.45 / 10,000 pop.
Nebraska:
0.44 / 10,000 pop.
Number of convenience stores (with gas): 31
Buffalo County:
6.90 / 10,000 pop.
Nebraska:
4.83 / 10,000 pop.
Number of full-service restaurants: 39
This county:
8.68 / 10,000 pop.
State:
7.76 / 10,000 pop.
Adult diabetes rate:
Buffalo County:
6.3%
Nebraska:
7.9%
Adult obesity rate:
Buffalo County:
28.4%
State:
28.0%
Low-income preschool obesity rate:
Here:
14.3%
State:
12.9%
Agriculture in Buffalo County:
Average size of farms: 608 acres Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $180,995 Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $269.48 The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 56.23% Average total farm production expenses per farm: $168,925 Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 48.35% Irrigated harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 79.06% Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $128,090 The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 84.93% Average age of principal farm operators: 53 years Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 16.94 Corn for grain: 164443 harvested acres All wheat for grain: 3836 harvested acres Soybeans for beans: 66228 harvested acres Vegetables: 31 harvested acres Land in orchards: 16 acres
Tornado activity:
Buffalo County historical area-adjusted tornado activity is significantly below Nebraska state average. It is 3577326.7 times below overall U.S. average. Tornadoes in this county have caused one injury recorded between 1950 and 2004. On 7/4/1994, a tornado injured one person
Earthquake activity:
Buffalo County-area historical earthquake activity is near Nebraska state average. It is 57% smaller than the overall U.S. average.
On 8/18/1959 at 06:37:13, a magnitude 7.7 (7.7 UK, Class: Major, Intensity: VIII - XII) earthquake occurred 643.7 miles away from Buffalo County center, causing $26,000,000 total damage On 10/18/1984 at 15:30:23, a magnitude 5.5 (5.4 MB, 5.1 MS, 5.5 ML, Class: Moderate, Intensity: VI - VII) earthquake occurred 353.9 miles away from the county center On 11/3/2002 at 20:41:56, a magnitude 4.3 (4.3 MB, 4.3 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi, Class: Light, Intensity: IV - V) earthquake occurred 137.1 miles away from the county center On 3/4/1983 at 06:32:18, a magnitude 4.6 (4.4 MB, 4.6 LG, 4.4 ML) earthquake occurred 237.5 miles away from the county center On 6/20/2002 at 04:29:40, a magnitude 3.5 (3.3 MB, 3.5 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi, Class: Light, Intensity: II - III) earthquake occurred 54.9 miles away from Buffalo County center On 2/15/1974 at 13:33:49, a magnitude 4.6 (4.5 MB, 4.6 LG) earthquake occurred 309.4 miles away from the county center Magnitude types: regional Lg-wave magnitude (LG), body-wave magnitude (MB), local magnitude (ML), surface-wave magnitude (MS)
Most recent natural disasters:
Nebraska Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding, Incident Period: June 19, 2011 to June 21, 2011, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-4014: August 12, 2011, FEMA Id: 4014, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood, Wind
Nebraska Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes, Incident Period: June 01, 2010 to August 29, 2010, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1924: July 15, 2010, FEMA Id: 1924, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
Nebraska Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, Incident Period: May 22, 2008 to June 24, 2008, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1770: June 20, 2008, FEMA Id: 1770, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
Nebraska Severe Storms and Flooding, Incident Period: May 28, 2007 to June 02, 2007, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1714: July 24, 2007, FEMA Id: 1714, Natural disaster type: Storm, Flood
Nebraska Severe Winter Storms, Incident Period: December 19, 2006 to January 01, 2007, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1674: January 07, 2007, FEMA Id: 1674, Natural disaster type: Winter Storm
Nebraska Hurricane Katrina Evacuation, Incident Period: August 29, 2005 to October 01, 2005, Emergency Declared EM-3245: September 13, 2005, FEMA Id: 3245, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Nebraska Severe Storms and Flooding, Incident Period: May 11, 2005 to May 12, 2005, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1590: June 23, 2005, FEMA Id: 1590, Natural disaster type: Storm, Flood
Nebraska Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding, Incident Period: May 20, 2004 to June 01, 2004, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1517: May 25, 2004, FEMA Id: 1517, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
Nebraska Severe Snow Storms, Incident Period: October 24, 1997 to October 26, 1997, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1190: November 01, 1997, FEMA Id: 1190, Natural disaster type: Storm, Snow
Nebraska Snow Storm, Ice Storm, Incident Period: April 10, 1994 to April 13, 1994, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1027: May 09, 1994, FEMA Id: 1027, Natural disaster type: Ice Storm, Storm, Snow
4 other natural disasters have been reported since 1953.
The number of natural disasters in Buffalo County (14) is near the US average (13). Major Disasters (Presidential) Declared: 13 Emergencies Declared: 1
Causes of natural disasters: Storms: 12, Floods: 10, Tornadoes: 5, Snows: 3, Hurricane: 1, Ice Storm: 1, Wind: 1, Winter Storm: 1 (Note: Some incidents may be assigned to more than one category).
Office and administrative support occupations (7%)
Transportation occupations (6%)
Material moving occupations (5%)
Office and administrative support occupations (22%)
Sales and related occupations (11%)
Education, training, and library occupations (10%)
Personal care and service occupations (8%)
Food preparation and serving related occupations (8%)
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners and other technical occupations (7%)
Healthcare support occupations (6%)
Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents (%):
Mexico (33%)
China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan (8%)
Korea (7%)
India (6%)
Israel (5%)
El Salvador (4%)
Other Eastern Africa (4%)
Most common first ancestries reported in Buffalo County (%):
German (39%)
American (9%)
Irish (5%)
English (5%)
Czech (2%)
Swedish (2%)
Polish (2%)
Means of transportation to work:
Drove a car alone: 22,962 (81.1%)
Carpooled: 2,839 (10.0%)
Bus or trolley bus: 9 (0.0%)
Streetcar or trolley car: 10 (0.0%)
Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means: 269 (0.9%)
Bicycle: 213 (0.8%)
Walked: 885 (3.1%)
Worked at home: 1,098 (3.9%)
Owners and renters by unit type in %
Breakdown of mean house values by ages of householders ($)
People in group quarters in Buffalo County, Nebraska in 2000:
1,939 people in college dormitories (includes college quarters off campus)
375 people in nursing homes
218 people in training schools for juvenile delinquents
63 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)
48 people in other noninstitutional group quarters
45 people in hospitals/wards and hospices for chronically ill
45 people in hospices or homes for chronically ill
37 people in wards in general hospitals for patients who have no usual home elsewhere
21 people in other nonhousehold living situations
20 people in homes or halfway houses for drug/alcohol abuse
12 people in hospitals or wards for drug/alcohol abuse
5 people in other group homes
5 people in religious group quarters
People in group quarters in Buffalo County, Nebraska in 2010:
1,575 people in college/university student housing
352 people in nursing facilities/skilled-nursing facilities
155 people in correctional facilities intended for juveniles
96 people in local jails and other municipal confinement facilities
30 people in workers' group living quarters and job corps centers
10 people in group homes for juveniles (non-correctional)
7 people in other noninstitutional facilities
Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2010 was $61,161.
7.55% of this county's 2011 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2010 ($34,423 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
7.55%
Nebraska average:
6.38%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved from foreign countries.
5.43% relocated from other counties in Nebraska ($21,973 average AGI)
2.12% relocated from other states ($12,449 average AGI)
Buffalo County:
2.12%
Nebraska average:
2.71%
Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries
Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2010 and 2011:
7.07% of this county's 2010 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2011 ($32,734 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
7.07%
Nebraska average:
6.57%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved to foreign countries.
4.86% relocated to other counties in Nebraska ($19,956 average AGI)
2.21% relocated to other states ($12,778 average AGI)
Buffalo County:
2.21%
Nebraska average:
2.88%
Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries
Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2010 and 2011:
Percentage of population without health insurance coverage in Buffalo County
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2007: 5,860 (5,123 aged, 737 disabled) Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2007: 908 (8%)
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Aged persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Disabled persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Most common underlying causes of death in Buffalo County, Nebraska in 1999 - 2014:
Atherosclerotic heart disease (458)
Bronchus or lung, unspecified - Malignant neoplasms (287)
Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction (190)
Alzheimer's disease, unspecified (179)
Congestive heart failure (169)
Unspecified dementia (151)
Acute myocardial infarction, unspecified (148)
Pneumonia, unspecified (124)
Cardiac arrest, unspecified (120)
Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 12% Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 9%
Short term general hospitals per 100,000 population in 2004: 2.3 Short term general hospital admissions per 100,000 population in 2004: 17,862 Short term general hospital beds per 100,000 population in 2004: 426 Emergency room visits per 100,000 population in 2004: 25,930
General practice office based MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 1,506 Medical specialist MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 803 Dentists per 100,000 population in 1998: 7
Total births per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006 : 64 Total deaths per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006: 110
Limited-service eating places per 100,000 population in 2005 : 11
Suicides per 1,000,000 population from 2000 to 2006: 112.2. This is more than state average.
Mechanisms of suicide:
Deaths per 1,000,000 population:
Firearm - 75.9
Other - 36.3
Household type by relationship:
Households: 49,067
In family households: 36,282 (5,828 male householders, 5,786 female householders)
9,391 spouses, 12,799 children (11,891 natural, 282 adopted, 625 stepchildren), 599 grandchildren, 325 brothers or sisters, 257 parents, 403 other relatives, 861 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 10,427 (3,414 male householders (2,292 living alone)), 3,662 female householders (2,711 living alone)), 3,338 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 2,387
Size of family households: 5,333 2-persons, 2,300 3-persons, 2,232 4-persons, 979 5-persons, 521 6-persons, 227 7-or-more-persons.
8,107 married couples with children.
2,383 single-parent households (407 men, 1,976 women).
91.9% of residents of Buffalo speak English at home.
5.2% of residents speak Spanish at home (68% speak English very well, 13% speak English well, 15% speak English not well, 4% don't speak English at all).
0.9% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (84% speak English very well, 15% speak English well, 1% speak English not well).
1.0% of residents speak Asian or Pacific Island language at home (63% speak English very well, 27% speak English well, 10% speak English not well).
0.7% of residents speak other language at home (82% speak English very well, 14% speak English well, 5% speak English not well).
In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $188,780,000 ($4,349 per capita) Department of Defense expenditure: $8,214,000 Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $81,707,000 Federal other direct payments to individuals: $36,297,000 Federal direct payments not to individuals: $15,452,000 Federal grants: $39,555,000 Federal procurement contracts: $1,857,000 ($43,000 Department of Defense) Federal salaries and wages: $13,912,000 ($5,452,000 Department of Defense) Federal Government direct loans: $1,328,000 Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $14,266,000 Federal Government insurance: $95,169,000
Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 3,191
Here:
73 per 1000 residents
State:
75 per 1000 residents
Deaths: 1,791
Here:
41 per 1000 residents
State:
46 per 1000 residents
Net international migration: +275
Here:
+6 per 1000 residents
State:
+13 per 1000 residents
Net internal migration: -296
Here:
-7 per 1000 residents
State:
-15 per 1000 residents
Population growth in Buffalo County
Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 8.73 millions of gallons per day (all from ground)
Median number of rooms in houses and condos:
Here:
7.4
State:
7.0
Median number of rooms in apartments:
Here:
4.3
State:
4.3
Year house built
2014 or later: 678
2010 to 2013: 806
2000 to 2009: 2,499
1990 to 1999: 2,898
1980 to 1989: 2,634
1970 to 1979: 4,123
1960 to 1969: 1,799
1950 to 1959: 1,123
1940 to 1949: 800
1939 or earlier: 3,043
Note: State values scaled to Buffalo population
Rooms in houses/apartments in Buffalo County, Nebraska
Note: State values scaled to Buffalo County population
no vehicle: 192
1 vehicle: 2,049
2 vehicles: 5,230
3 vehicles: 2,758
4 vehicles: 1,020
5+ vehicles: 508
no vehicle: 645
1 vehicle: 2,932
2 vehicles: 1,978
3 vehicles: 1,030
4 vehicles: 214
5+ vehicles: 134
77% of Buffalo County residents lived in the same house 1 years ago. Out of people who lived in different houses, 35% lived in this county. Out of people who lived in different counties, 68% lived in Nebraska.
Buffalo County:
76.7%
State average:
83.5%
Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:
This state: 36,584
Other state: 10,094
Northeast: 606
Midwest: 4,295
South: 1,620
West: 3,627
Year Householders Moved Into Unit
Most commonly used house heating fuel in Buffalo County
Click here to upload your Buffalo County photos (outside city limits)
32.7 years
36.3 years
(50.0%)
(50.0%)
, Clay County 
, Grundy County, Illinois 
