What it's like to live in Buffalo
Buffalo is a small city in Minnesota with rent below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Buffalo deals with larger class sizes than the national average, cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 40" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Buffalo compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Buffalo
Based on Buffalo's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,364
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,280 a year
- 44% of Buffalo renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$62,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,440
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 16% below US
$1,182/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,182 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $314,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $314,400 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Wright County is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Wright County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 84% below US
53 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 356/100k · Buffalo Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 7°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 11% below US
32% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 32% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (41 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Buffalo's strongest points are rent below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,182/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Buffalo
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