The Town FilesBuffalo Lake, Minnesota
City in Renville County · population 660 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $113,400
- Household income
- $66,167
- Jan low / Jul high
- 3° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 45 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 16
- Median age
- 42.8
Buffalo Lake is a city of 660 people in Renville County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $113,400, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks easier by car than 85% of Minnesota towns, more of a college town than 71% of Minnesota towns, better for first-time buyers than 70% of Minnesota towns.
How Buffalo Lake ranks
Percentile among Minnesota towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Minnesota towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Buffalo Lake is worth $113,400, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 1.7 times the median household income of $66,167, which is more affordable than 98% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $759 a month. 77.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Buffalo Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $113,400 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $759 | $991 |
| Median household income | $66,167 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.7× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 77.6% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1958 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.2% | — |
Who lives in Buffalo Lake
| People | Buffalo Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.8 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 30.2% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 25.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.1% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 20.1% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 8.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 9.6% | — |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 29.3 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 80.0% | 90.2% |
Weather in Buffalo Lake
July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 3.4°F. About 31.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 44.7 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 164 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Buffalo Lake since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 24, 2003 about 4.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 16, 2017.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 44 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on August 11, 2023.
Severe weather in Renville County since 1996
Renville County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| July 19, 2023 | Flood | DR-4722: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| August 9, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4666: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| July 8, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4658: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Renville County
Renville County had 5,483 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,239 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Buffalo Lake itself the ACS puts it at 5.7%.
Towns near Buffalo Lake
- Hector, MN4.7 mi · 1,012 people · home $132,000
- Lynn, MN11.2 mi · 519 people · home $348,900
- Brownton, MN13.1 mi · 731 people · home $162,500
- Bird Island, MN13.7 mi · 1,005 people · home $142,100
- Cosmos, MN14.3 mi · 507 people · home $105,500
- Gibbon, MN14.8 mi · 784 people · home $102,700
- Fairfax, MN15.3 mi · 1,250 people · home $116,300
- Hutchinson, MN15.6 mi · 14,599 people · home $229,600
Buffalo Lake questions
Is Buffalo Lake, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Buffalo Lake scores better for retirees than 58% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 51%. 30.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.8).
How much does a house cost in Buffalo Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Buffalo Lake is valued at $113,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,167, so homes cost about 1.7 times income. Median rent is $759 a month.
What is the weather like in Buffalo Lake?
July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 3.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 31.7 inches of precipitation a year and 44.7 inches of snow.
Does Buffalo Lake get tornadoes?
16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Buffalo Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 24, 2003. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)