Population 50,579 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Buffalo County
Household size in Buffalo County
| Period | Buffalo County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.51 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.45 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Buffalo County has 2.45 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Nebraska as a whole looks much the same. Household size has edged down from 2.49 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Buffalo County
| Period | Buffalo County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.2 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.0 | 37.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.5 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.5 | 38.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.4 | +0.9 | +2.3 |
Buffalo County is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.5, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.2, mirroring the country. Of Nebraska's 93 counties, only five are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Buffalo County
| Period | Buffalo County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | +0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Buffalo County (9.8%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of Nebraska. Compared with other Nebraska counties, though, Buffalo County has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Buffalo County
Renters in Buffalo County
| Period | Buffalo County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.5% | 31.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.8% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.6% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Buffalo County rent their homes (33.6%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 42.7% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northeast. The renter share has edged down 0.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Buffalo County
| Period | Buffalo County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Buffalo County: 7.6% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.7 points, in line with the national trend. Buffalo County has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Nebraska counties.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Buffalo County
| Period | Buffalo County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Buffalo County are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are newer than in Nebraska as a whole, where the median home dates to 1975. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the northeast. Of Nebraska's 93 counties, only three have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Buffalo County
| Period | Buffalo County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $664 | $730 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $733 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $807 | $911 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $979 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$315 | +$429 | +$606 |
Rent in Buffalo County runs $979 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $315 a month since 2006–10, up 47%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 25.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the center and lowest in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Buffalo County
Bachelor's degrees in Buffalo County
| Period | Buffalo County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.4% | 29.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.2% | 30.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.4% | 32.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.9% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Buffalo County as nationally: 33.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the northeast. Few Nebraska counties have a higher share of college graduates: only eight of 93.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Buffalo County
| Period | Buffalo County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.6% | 90.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.5% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.1% | 91.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +1.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Buffalo County is above the national rate: 93.9% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 1.3 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Buffalo County
| Period | Buffalo County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.0% | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 5.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.4% | 3.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Buffalo County has been low: just 2.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Buffalo County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County | 2.45 | 36.5 | 9.8% | 33.6% | 7.6% | 1980 | $979 | 33.9% | 93.9% | 2.3% |
| Dawson County | 2.77 | 37.3 | 12.4% | 33.6% | 7.7% | 1969 | $882 | 17.1% | 76.2% | 1.4% |
| Hamilton County | 2.57 | 41.5 | 5.6% | 17.0% | 15.7% | 1970 | $877 | 30.9% | 97.0% | 2.1% |
| Frontier County | 2.29 | 44.3 | 6.3% | 26.0% | 20.6% | 1956 | $651 | 25.8% | 93.8% | 2.6% |
| York County | 2.37 | 38.9 | 9.3% | 24.5% | 10.5% | 1962 | $840 | 25.8% | 93.2% | 1.5% |
| Seward County | 2.45 | 38.1 | 8.2% | 28.0% | 6.0% | 1967 | $999 | 34.5% | 94.8% | 2.1% |
| Lancaster County | 2.44 | 36.3 | 9.1% | 41.1% | 5.2% | 1983 | $1,221 | 41.5% | 93.5% | 3.0% |
| Perkins County | 2.33 | 42.6 | 7.6% | 21.3% | 12.3% | 1951 | $849 | 25.6% | 93.0% | 1.5% |
| Otoe County | 2.57 | 42.5 | 8.2% | 17.7% | 8.9% | 1968 | $887 | 26.6% | 93.1% | 2.9% |
| Fremont County | 2.27 | 47.2 | 5.4% | 21.7% | 10.2% | 1958 | $766 | 20.8% | 92.9% | 0.8% |
| Page County | 2.27 | 45.2 | 7.5% | 29.5% | 11.7% | 1953 | $685 | 19.4% | 93.2% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Cherokee County, TX · Somerset County, ME · St. Charles Parish, LA · Oxford County, ME · Juana Diaz Municipio, PR · Newton County, MO · Clinton County, IA · Laurens County, GA · Tuolumne County, CA · Lawrence County, IN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Buffalo County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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