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Buffalo vs Pukwana

248 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (9.5× in Buffalo) and street grid (2.8× in Buffalo).

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Buffalo, SDHomes around $199KSouth Dakota · 278 people

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Pukwana, SDAn outdoors townSouth Dakota · 300 people

Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

BuffaloHomes around $199K

Housing$199K typical home38% below the SD typical home All about Buffalo →

PukwanaAn outdoors town

Outdoors21.3% conserved land0.4 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Pukwana →

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Jobs per worker9.5×

Buffalo is more of a job hub

Buffalo 1.24Pukwana 0.13

Street grid2.8×

Buffalo has the more walkable street grid

Buffalo 96.3Pukwana 33.9

Property tax bill+48%

Tax bills are bigger in Buffalo

Buffalo $1,735Pukwana $1,175

Work in town+22.3 pts

More of Buffalo’s workers stay in town

Buffalo 24.1%Pukwana 1.8%

Conserved land+21.3 pts

Pukwana has more conserved land

Pukwana 21.3%Buffalo 0%

Typical home built15 yrs

Buffalo’s homes are older

Pukwana 1968Buffalo 1953

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $670 more a month in Buffalo

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Buffalo$1,300/mo

Typical home $199K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.52% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

Pukwana$620/mo

Typical home $100K (Census) · tax rate 1.18% · or rent about $1,063/mo · Housing →

The difference: $670 a month, about $8,100 a year, between Buffalo and Pukwana.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

BuffaloPukwana

Snow a year51″43″

January low9°F 9°F

July high87°F 87°F

Growing season (days)131d 156d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)71st 65th

Outdoors & history

BuffaloPukwana

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land0%21.3%

Settled1909 1881

National Register places1 1

Community

BuffaloPukwana

Library hours a week20 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

248 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BuffaloSD PukwanaSD

Buffalo ↔ Pukwana248 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs South Dakota average

BuffaloPukwana

People

Population 278Lowest 300Highest

Median age 57.2±6.6Highest 51% above SD 52.3±14.7Lowest 38% above SD

Buffalo and Pukwana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 10.8%±8.1Lowest SD: 24.2% 17.3%±9.4Highest SD: 24.2%

Pukwana and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 20.5%±7.4Highest SD: 18% 19.7%±9.7Lowest SD: 18%

Buffalo and Pukwana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.8%Highest SD: 31.9% 13.4%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.7%±3.7Highest SD: 5% 0%±4.7Lowest SD: 5%

Buffalo and Pukwana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $85,104±$10kHighest 13% above SD $63,750±$28kLowest 15% below SD

Buffalo and Pukwana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $114,100±$44kHighest 56% below SD $100,000±$71kLowest 61% below SD

Buffalo and Pukwana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $725±$321Lowest 23% below SD $1,063±$126Highest 12% above SD

Pukwana and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,735Highest 36% below SD $1,175Lowest 57% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 11.5%±66.9Lowest SD: 39.8% 52.2%±65.4Highest SD: 39.8%

Pukwana and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 6.8%Highest SD: 11.9% 2.3%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 82%Highest SD: 68.6% 81.9%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1953Lowest 27 yrs older than SD 1968Highest 12 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 10 minLowest 42% below SD 15 minHighest 16% below SD

Work from home 5.5%±4.7Lowest SD: 9.7% 5.8%±6.6Highest SD: 9.7%

Pukwana and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 24.1%Highest 1.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miHighest 11.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.24Highest 0.13Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Camp Crook (5%)Kimball (23%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PukwanaFew work in Buffalo

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 21.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 96.3Highest 33.9Lowest

South Dakota average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Buffalo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Buffalo’s Town Square.

Pukwana neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pukwana’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Buffalo

Hudson382 people · $151K homes

Wakonda399 people · $107K homes

South Shore183 people · $87K homes

Gary246 people · $102K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.