Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 44/100
D
Median home value$314,400
Minneapolis $374,000
Median rent$1,182/mo
Minneapolis $1,440/mo
Cost-burdened households32%
Minneapolis 28%
Buffalo
Wright County16,499 residentsBuffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools
57
C−
Suburbgrade score
53rd of 60 Minneapolis suburbs. Strongest on schools, held back by housing & affordability.
57
Minneapolis median 62
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Buffalo yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 57 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Buffalo is like to live in, by category
Bars show Buffalo against Minneapolis. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 69/100
B−
Within-state proficiency82nd pct
Minneapolis median 72nd pct
Student–teacher ratio19.1
Minneapolis median 16.1
Graduation rate92%
Minneapolis median 89%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 67/100
C+
Housing cost index92
Minneapolis 100
Eff. tax rate1.09%
Minneapolis 1.04%
Local sales tax8.14%
Minneapolis median 8.14%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 49/100
D+
Mean commute26.5 min
Minneapolis 23.9 min
Under 30 minutes58%
Minneapolis 68%
Transit stops / sq mi0.0
Minneapolis median 6.5 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 68/100
B−
Restaurants & cafés36
Minneapolis median 35 · within 2 miles
Groceries3
Minneapolis median 4 · within 2 miles
Parks67
Minneapolis median 61 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 47/100
D
Median household income$88,820
Minneapolis $99,833
Unemployment6.0%
Minneapolis 4.1%
Professional occupations41%
Minneapolis 49%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Buffalo yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Buffalo on housing & affordability
Buffalo's weakest grade is D. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
Maple Grove20 mi from BuffaloB− 67 C+ Plymouth22 mi from BuffaloC+ 72 B− Otsego13 mi from BuffaloC+ 58 C St. Michael9 mi from BuffaloC+ 62 C Ramsey21 mi from BuffaloC+ 60 C Champlin23 mi from BuffaloC 66 C+ Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Buffalo
Is Buffalo, MN a good place to live?
Buffalo scores 57 out of 100, 53rd of 60 Minneapolis suburbs. It is strongest on schools and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Buffalo expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades C+. The median home is $314,400, 16% below the Minneapolis median, and the effective property tax rate is 1.09%. $1,182/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Buffalo?
Schools grade B−. The districts serving Buffalo sit at the 82nd pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 92% graduation rate and a 19.1 student–teacher ratio. Buffalo is served by Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Buffalo?
The mean commute is 26.5 min, with 58% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 13% working from home. Transit density is 0.0 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Buffalo?
Within two miles there are 3 groceries, 36 restaurants and cafés and 67 parks, which grades B− on amenities.
Are the homes in Buffalo old or new?
The median home in Buffalo was built in 1993 — newer than the Minneapolis median of 1981. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 79% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.
Six Minneapolis lists
Best Minneapolis suburbs for familiesMost affordable Minneapolis suburbsBest Minneapolis suburbs for schoolsShortest commutes to Downtown MinneapolisMost walkable Minneapolis suburbsBest Minneapolis suburbs for young professionalsCompare Buffalo
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