Buffalo County, South Dakota
Located in South Dakota, Buffalo County has a population of 1,808 residents and a median age of 22.8 years, making it the #3,135 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 33.9%. The median home value is $117,800, and the median household income is $47,045, which is 37% below the national median.
Demographics
Buffalo County has a population of 1,808, making it the #3,135 most populous county in the US. The median age is 22.8 years, which is 41.4% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Buffalo County is $47,045, ranking #2,894 out of 3,222 counties — 37.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 33.9% and unemployment stands at 10.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Buffalo County is $117,800 (-58.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $540/mo and the homeownership rate is 52.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Buffalo County, 9.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 70.6% below the national average, ranking #3,183 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Buffalo County is 54.0 years. 31.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
35.2% of adults in Buffalo County smoke , 44.4% are obese , and 18.6% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 155.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 72.6 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
38.1% of children in Buffalo County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 50.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Buffalo County is 44.5%. The mean commute time is 15.2 min, which is 44.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Buffalo County voted Democratic with a margin of 27.2%. The vote was 62.4% Dem / 35.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Buffalo County, South Dakota
Buffalo County, South Dakota has a total population of 1,808, making it the 3,135th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Buffalo County is 22.8 years, which is 41.4% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Buffalo County is $47,045, which ranks #2,894 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 37.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 33.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 10.8%.
The median home value in Buffalo County is $117,800, 58.2% below the national median. Renters in Buffalo County pay a median gross rent of $540 per month. The homeownership rate is 52.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Buffalo County, 9.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 70.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 57.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 15.2 min.
Buffalo County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is American Indian (non-Hispanic) at 78.2% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (17.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.7%).
All data for Buffalo County, South Dakota 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.