Buffalo County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31019 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Buffalo County has a population of 50,579 residents and a median age of 35.1 years, making it the #1,010 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.9%. The median home value is $246,400, and the median household income is $75,911, which is 1% above the national median.

50,579
Population
#1,010 of 3,222
$75,911
Median Income
+1.0% #783 of 3,222
35.1 years
Median Age
-9.8% #2,958 of 3,222
9.9%
Poverty Rate
-21.6% #770 of 3,222

Demographics

Buffalo County has a population of 50,579, making it the #1,010 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.1 years, which is 9.8% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.2%
Native Born
4.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Buffalo County is $75,911, ranking #783 out of 3,222 counties — 1.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.9% and unemployment stands at 2.6%.

Income#783
$75,911
+1.0%
vs nation
76th percentile
Per Capita#1,005
$38,628
-6.4%
vs nation
69th percentile
Poverty#770
9.9%
-21.6%
vs nation
76th percentile
Unemployment#472
2.6%
-51.8%
vs nation
85th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Buffalo County is $246,400 (-12.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $936/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.4%.

Home Value#920
$246,400
-12.6%
vs nation
71th percentile
Rent#1,250
$936
-19.5%
vs nation
61th percentile
Homeownership#2,629
66.4%
+3.1%
vs nation
18th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Buffalo County, 34.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 2.0% above the national average, ranking #499 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
34.4% +2.0% vs nation
Rank #499 of 3,222
85th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Buffalo County is 79.9 years. 17.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#242
79.9
+6.3%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,268
17.7%
-9.5%
vs nation
60th percentile
Diabetes#1,267
10.2%
-8.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#663
33.8%
-9.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#229
4.7
-16.2%
vs nation
93th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#533
3.8
-15.0%
vs nation
83th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,180
7.9%
-24.2%
vs nation
63th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,727
26.7%
+1.2%
vs nation
45th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,401
13.7%
-4.9%
vs nation
56th percentile

Substance Use

17.8% of adults in Buffalo County smoke , 43.4% are obese , and 22.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 9.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,603
17.8%
-0.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,864
43.4%
+14.5%
vs nation
9th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,597
22.8%
+14.7%
vs nation
17th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#32
9.3
-71.3%
vs nation
99th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 14.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.7 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#655
14.5
-26.3%
vs nation
74th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#88
6.0
-66.5%
vs nation
97th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#541
11.7
-42.1%
vs nation
81th percentile

Families & Children

8.6% of children in Buffalo County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 11.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#261
4.9
-27.6%
vs nation
81th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#597
11.9
-45.4%
vs nation
80th percentile
Child Poverty#204
8.6%
-54.7%
vs nation
94th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Buffalo County is 64.1%. The mean commute time is 18.1 min, which is 34.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
64.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
18.1 min −34.6% vs nation
Rank #3,003 of 3,222
7th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Buffalo County voted Republican with a margin of 44.9%. The vote was 26.9% Dem / 71.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +44.9%
26.9% 71.8%
Dem 23,759 votes Rep
2020 REP +43.4%
26.8% 70.2%
Dem 23,711 votes Rep
2016 REP +47.5%
22.9% 70.4%
Dem 20,477 votes Rep
2012 REP +42.6%
27.6% 70.2%
Dem 19,057 votes Rep
2008 REP +37.5%
30.4% 67.9%
Dem 19,293 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Buffalo County, Nebraska

Buffalo County, Nebraska has a total population of 50,579, making it the 1,010th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Buffalo County is 35.1 years, which is 9.8% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Buffalo County is $75,911, which ranks #783 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.6%.

The median home value in Buffalo County is $246,400, 12.6% below the national median. Renters in Buffalo County pay a median gross rent of $936 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Buffalo County, 34.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 2.0% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 18.1 min.

Buffalo County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).

All data for Buffalo County, Nebraska comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.