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Buffalo vs Dodge

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: household income (+57% in Buffalo) and jobs per worker (+89% in Buffalo).

B ×
Buffalo, WIOne of the healthiest townsBuffalo County · 725 people
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Dodge, WIA small town of 503Trempealeau County · 503 people
Swap order
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.

BuffaloOne of the healthiest towns
Health72% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors13.3% conserved land4.3 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves All about Buffalo →
DodgeA small town of 503
Quiet strengthsDodge doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Dodge →
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.

Household income+57%
Households in Buffalo earn more
Buffalo $83,500Dodge $53,209
Jobs per worker+89%
Buffalo is more of a job hub
Buffalo 0.17Dodge 0.09
Conserved land+11.2 pts
Buffalo has more conserved land
Buffalo 13.3%Dodge 2.1%
Bachelor’s degree++10.7 pts
More adults in Buffalo have a degree
Buffalo 26.5%Dodge 15.8%
Street grid+46%
Buffalo has the more walkable street grid
Buffalo 1.9Dodge 1.3
Average commute5 min
Buffalo has the shorter commute
Dodge 29 minBuffalo 24 min
★ What stands out · Where they are

Buffalo and Dodge share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BuffaloDodgeBuffaloDodge
Buffalo ↔ Dodge5.1 miles apart · They share a border
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Buffalo$1,250/mo
Typical home $194K (Census) · tax rate 1.44% · or rent about $638/mo · Housing →
Dodge$1,240/mo
Typical home $185K (Census) · tax rate 1.76% · or rent about $796/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Wisconsin ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Health
CBuffaloHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns –DodgeNot graded
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
BuffaloDodge
Snow a year38″42″
January low8°F8°F
July high83°F84°F
Growing season (days)180d152d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)52nd56th
Outdoors & history
BuffaloDodge
Trails4 mi0 mi
Conserved land13.3%2.1%
Archive photos—4
Famous people born here1—
Community
BuffaloDodge
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

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.

BuffaloDodge
People
Population 725Highest 503Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.8% WI: +3.6% —
Median age 52.7±4.3Lowest 31% above WI 62.8±10.8Highest 56% above WI
Dodge and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 16.1%±2.5Lowest WI: 21.4% 20.1%±5.9Highest WI: 21.4%
Dodge and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 26.8%±5.6Lowest WI: 18.5% 47.3%±16Highest WI: 18.5%
Dodge and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.5%Highest WI: 33.4% 15.8%Lowest WI: 33.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±1.1Highest WI: 5.8% 1%±1.2Lowest WI: 5.8%
Buffalo and Dodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $83,500±$16kHighest 8% above WI $53,209±$7kLowest 31% below WI
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $193,900±$38kHighest 27% below WI $185,400±$9kLowest 30% below WI
Buffalo and Dodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $638±$398Lowest 41% below WI $796±$141Highest 27% below WI
Dodge and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,800Lowest 26% below WI $3,262Highest 14% below WI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 6.7%±100Lowest WI: 43.7% 88.9%±55.8Highest WI: 43.7%
Dodge and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 5.9%Lowest WI: 10.6% 16.5%Highest WI: 10.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 92.4%Highest WI: 67.8% 86.7%Lowest WI: 67.8%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973Highest 2 yrs older than WI 1964Lowest 11 yrs older than WI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 9% above WI 29 minHighest 29% above WI
Work from home 8.2%±3.2Lowest WI: 13.1% 14.2%±8.7Highest WI: 13.1%
Dodge and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.5% 0.5%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.8 miLowest 23.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.17Highest 0.09Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Winona (33%)La Crosse (16%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in DodgeFew work in Buffalo
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 13.3%Highest 2.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 4.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.9Highest 1.3Lowest
Wisconsin 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.

Dodge neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dodge’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Buffalo and Dodge

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Bordering Buffalo

+ Compare
Trempealeau1,929 people · $305K homes
+ Compare
Winona, MN26,009 people · $202K homes
H
+ Compare
Homer Township, MN1,101 people · $332K homes
C
+ Compare
Cross437 people · $292K homes

Towns like Buffalo

+ Compare
Coloma659 people · $241K homes
P
+ Compare
Pepin685 people · $264K homes
+ Compare
Ahnapee841 people · $252K homes
G
+ Compare
Grant692 people · $173K 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.

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