Population 719 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Buffalo
Household size in Buffalo
| Period | Buffalo | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.46 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.42 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Buffalo run small, averaging 2.42 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children.
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
| Period | Buffalo | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.4 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.1 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.8, Buffalo is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 43.8, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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
| Period | Buffalo | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Buffalo as they are nationally: 12.4%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Illinois as a whole (11.3%).
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
Renters in Buffalo
| Period | Buffalo | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.2% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −11.7 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.3% of households in Buffalo rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly half of owners (46.5%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
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
| Period | Buffalo | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Buffalo: just 4.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market.
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
| Period | Buffalo | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Buffalo was built around 1980, the same vintage as the country's housing overall. Homes here are newer than in Illinois overall, where the median home dates to 1970.
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
| Period | Buffalo | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $685 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $638 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $875 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $622 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$64 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Buffalo costs $622 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 35.2% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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
Bachelor's degrees in Buffalo
| Period | Buffalo | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.3% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.6% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.2% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Buffalo: 21.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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
| Period | Buffalo | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.3% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.1% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.5% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Buffalo: 95.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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
| Period | Buffalo | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Buffalo has been strong: just 3.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 2.42 | 49.8 | 12.4% | 12.3% | 4.4% | 1980 | $622 | 21.9% | 95.2% | 3.2% |
| Lanesville | 2.47 | 45.8 | 8.0% | 9.7% | 4.1% | 1976 | $932 | 27.4% | 97.8% | 3.4% |
| Dawson | 2.43 | 49.9 | 9.5% | 11.1% | 5.2% | 1982 | $769 | 27.2% | 95.8% | 2.4% |
| Mechanicsburg | 2.38 | 47.1 | 10.5% | 9.7% | 5.5% | 1977 | $848 | 25.8% | 97.6% | 5.0% |
| Cornland | 2.14 | 48.3 | 5.8% | 21.6% | 4.5% | 1962 | $830 | 19.5% | 96.9% | 4.4% |
| Riverton | 2.31 | 45.3 | 2.4% | 29.0% | 14.3% | 1975 | $1,026 | 20.3% | 94.0% | 0.2% |
| Spaulding | 2.41 | 46.1 | 1.3% | 5.2% | 12.4% | 1986 | $1,082 | 35.5% | 95.4% | 1.4% |
| Roby | 2.31 | 44.4 | 5.9% | 10.3% | 7.9% | 1977 | $1,103 | 35.1% | 97.6% | 7.6% |
| Illiopolis | 2.50 | 42.2 | 7.3% | 14.7% | 4.4% | 1965 | $785 | 28.2% | 91.3% | 3.6% |
| Clear Lake | 2.67 | 34.7 | 25.2% | 31.4% | 7.5% | 1983 | $988 | 23.4% | 95.2% | 5.5% |
| Lake Fork | 2.13 | 44.5 | 4.8% | 24.2% | 5.4% | 1955 | $825 | 19.0% | 95.0% | 5.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Beatty, NV · Adrian, OH · Alberhill, CA · Yankeetown, FL · Lester, SC · Alleyton, TX · Benton Ridge, OH · Willard, WI · Toronto, SD · Milton, IA
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. 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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