Buffalo County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Buffalo County, NE Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 89% of counties in Nebraska
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 75% of counties in Nebraska
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Buffalo County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,579 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 51.9 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.55% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.1 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,984 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Buffalo County grew by 12.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 50,579 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Buffalo County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.7% of residents. That is 4.9 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 13,999 27.7% +4.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,020 19.8% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,839 17.5% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,443 14.7% -1.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Nebraska, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.8% of the people living in Buffalo County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 50.2% Nebraska 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Buffalo County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Buffalo County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Buffalo County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,983 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.25% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Buffalo County is about 1% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Buffalo County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $238,571 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $935 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.4% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Buffalo County is about 21.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $935 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Buffalo County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 101 hours, about 4.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Buffalo County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.2 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 24.3 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 101 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,144 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.7% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,157 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 715 | 691 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Nebraska:
Hooker County (7.4 min), Cherry County (8.0 min), Box Butte County (8.0 min).
Slowest:
Cass County (28.0 min), Banner County (27.2 min), Saunders County (26.9 min).
The average commute time in Buffalo County is 12 minutes, shorter than the 17 minutes in Nebraska.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Buffalo County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Buffalo County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.5% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Nebraska:
Sarpy County (0.3), Lancaster County (0.3), Douglas County (0.3).
Lowest:
Dakota County (0.2), Colfax County (0.2), Dawson County (0.2).
Health
Buffalo County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Buffalo County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.0% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.7% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Nebraska:
Wayne County (0.8), Sarpy County (0.8), Lancaster County (0.8).
Lowest:
Thurston County (0.8), Pawnee County (0.8), Dundy County (0.8).
Buffalo County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Buffalo County, NE compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County, NE | 50,579 | $75,983 #1/3 | $238,571 #2/3 | 12.2 min #1/3 |
| Hall County, NE | 62,536 | $68,324 | $243,292 | 13.7 min |
| Adams County, NE | 31,052 | $68,670 | $117,856 | 12.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Buffalo County, Nebraska.
What is the population of Buffalo County, Nebraska?
About 50,579 people live in Buffalo County, Nebraska, in 19,984 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 35.1, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Buffalo County, Nebraska?
Averaged over its land area, Buffalo County, Nebraska has 52 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 60% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Buffalo County, Nebraska an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($238,571 against $75,983), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $935 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Buffalo County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Buffalo County, Nebraska is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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