Buffalo County, Wisconsin

WI · FIPS 55011 Republican

Located in Wisconsin, Buffalo County has a population of 13,393 residents and a median age of 46.5 years, making it the #2,262 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.4%. The median home value is $213,300, and the median household income is $70,479, which is 6% below the national median.

13,393
Population
#2,262 of 3,222
$70,479
Median Income
-6.2% #1,163 of 3,222
46.5 years
Median Age
+19.5% #540 of 3,222
8.4%
Poverty Rate
-33.1% #449 of 3,222

Demographics

Buffalo County has a population of 13,393, making it the #2,262 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.5 years, which is 19.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.3%
Native Born
1.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Buffalo County is $70,479, ranking #1,163 out of 3,222 counties — 6.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 8.4% and unemployment stands at 2.8%.

Income#1,163
$70,479
-6.2%
vs nation
64th percentile
Per Capita#1,054
$38,280
-7.2%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poverty#449
8.4%
-33.1%
vs nation
86th percentile
Unemployment#597
2.8%
-46.3%
vs nation
81th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Buffalo County is $213,300 (-24.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $876/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.5%.

Home Value#1,267
$213,300
-24.3%
vs nation
61th percentile
Rent#1,578
$876
-24.7%
vs nation
51th percentile
Homeownership#1,050
77.5%
+20.3%
vs nation
67th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Buffalo County, 22.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 34.3% below the national average, ranking #1,634 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
22.1% −34.3% vs nation
Rank #1,634 of 3,222
49th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Buffalo County is 81.7 years. 14.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#76
81.7
+8.7%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#473
14.7%
-24.9%
vs nation
85th percentile
Diabetes#316
8.5%
-23.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#787
34.3%
-8.1%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,570
5.6
0.0%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#703
3.9
-12.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Uninsured Rate#582
6.4%
-39.2%
vs nation
82th percentile
Physical Inactivity#416
20.7%
-21.5%
vs nation
87th percentile
Food Insecurity#462
10.7%
-25.7%
vs nation
85th percentile

Substance Use

15.5% of adults in Buffalo County smoke , 40.1% are obese , and 26.2% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#795
15.5%
-13.7%
vs nation
75th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,111
40.1%
+5.8%
vs nation
33th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,120
26.2%
+31.9%
vs nation
1th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.9 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#574
11.9
-41.0%
vs nation
80th percentile

Families & Children

12.2% of children in Buffalo County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 6.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#122
6.0
-72.3%
vs nation
96th percentile
Child Poverty#636
12.2%
-35.8%
vs nation
80th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Buffalo County is 75.7%. The mean commute time is 28.5 min, which is 3.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
75.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.5 min +3.3% vs nation
Rank #1,153 of 3,222
64th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Buffalo County voted Republican with a margin of 30.2%. The vote was 34.2% Dem / 64.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +30.2%
34.2% 64.4%
Dem 8,091 votes Rep
2020 REP +25.2%
36.6% 61.8%
Dem 7,816 votes Rep
2016 REP +21.9%
36.6% 58.5%
Dem 6,921 votes Rep
2012 DEM +3.1%
50.9% 47.8%
Dem 7,008 votes Rep
2008 DEM +14.6%
56.4% 41.8%
Dem 7,000 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Buffalo County, Wisconsin

Buffalo County, Wisconsin has a total population of 13,393, making it the 2,262nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Buffalo County is 46.5 years, which is 19.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Buffalo County is $70,479, which ranks #1,163 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.8%.

The median home value in Buffalo County is $213,300, 24.3% below the national median. Renters in Buffalo County pay a median gross rent of $876 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Buffalo County, 22.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.5 min.

Buffalo County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).

All data for Buffalo County, Wisconsin 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.