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Front Street - Buffalo, Iowa

BuffaloIA

A town of 1,097. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.

1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,097
−7.4% since 2010
Typical home
$167K
+2.6% in a year
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
42.0
years
Jobs based here
531
Balanced

What makes Buffalo stand out

The 3 things Buffalo does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
Small town

1,097 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
DavenportDavenportBuffalo

Buffalo’s report card

See the data ↓

Now in Buffalo

Be the first to start the conversation.

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Residents weigh in
Live in Buffalo? Is a D− for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Buffalo’s Town Square.
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81°
Clear
H 81° · L 65°

Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Buffalo. Another town gets a different order.

Schools

Buffalo’s public schools outperform 3% of Iowa districts

The public schools Buffalo’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 97% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

D−School Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Buffalo Elementary SchoolPK–5242C
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduationAll 1 schools →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 96% of U.S. towns

Buffalo reports less crime per resident than 96% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

A+Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Buffalo0
Iowa2.4
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Buffalo0
Iowa12
U.S.15.5
96th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
94th
percentile among IA towns
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
0
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Housing

A typical Buffalo home is worth about $167K

The typical Buffalo home is worth about $167,000, up 2.6% in a year, 30% below the Iowa typical home.

$167KZillow home value

Typical home value

Buffalo$167K
Iowa$240K
+2.6%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Buffalo has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

36″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter17–33°
Spring40–61°
Summer63–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards

Low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 35% of U.S. communities.

35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
35Low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
68
paid flood claims since 1979
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Work & commute

Most working residents commute out of Buffalo

Most working residents leave Buffalo for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Davenport (35%), Rock Island (6%) and Walcott (6%). Half commute less than 12 miles.

1%work in town

Where working residents work

In Buffalo1%
Davenport35%
Rock Island6%
Walcott6%
Bettendorf5%
12 mi
median commute distance
531
jobs based in Buffalo
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health

Healthier than 58% of U.S. towns

Buffalo beats the Iowa average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.

BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
3 better28 too close to call1 worse
What stands outBuffaloIA
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth8.9%11.6%
More adults screened for colon cancer71.3%66.6%
More adults with arthritis29.8%27%
Trinity Rock Island
10.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
56th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors

4.2% of Buffalo is conserved land

0.0 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves.

4.2%conserved
Map of Buffalo: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
4.2%
conserved · 184 of 4,327 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Buffalo Outing Club—31
2. Buffalo Shores State Recreation Area—27
3. Dodge Access—14
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Buffalo, Iowa, Turner Hall
1910 · Buffalo, Iowa, Turner Hall · Wikimedia Commons
Buffalo’s story

Buffalo in pictures

6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 1 places on the National Register.

IAMap-doton-BuffaloBuffalo, Iowa Fire StationCalvary Lutheran Church
Explore the history →

About Buffalo

City in Iowa, United States

Official town website ↗

Buffalo is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,176 at the 2020 census. Buffalo is located on the Mississippi River. The city is a part of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Population
1,176
Area
6.8 sq mi
Elevation
564 ft
ZIP code
52728
Area code
563

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Photo of Buffalo

Buffalo, IA · Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗