Buffalo, Minnesota

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.64 square miles (24.97 km²); 7.17 square miles (18.57 km²) is land and 2.47 square miles (6.40 km²) is water.

History

Buffalo was platted in 1856, and named after nearby Buffalo Lake. A post office has been in operation at Buffalo since 1856.

Education

The local school district is named Buffalo–Hanover–Montrose Schools. It is composed of schools within the city of Buffalo, and local towns of Hanover and Montrose. There are six elementary schools, which include Discovery Center, Northwinds Elementary, Parkside Elementary, Tatanka Elementary, Hanover Elementary, and Montrose Elementary. There is one middle school, Buffalo Community Middle School, and one high school, Buffalo High School. There is also one private, catholic school, St. Francis Xavier school (Grades K–8).

Culture

Buffalo offers a relatively large and vibrant arts scene for the town's size. The Buffalo Community Theater is a local organization that has been producing plays since 1986. The Buffalo Community Orchestra is another popular artistic outlet. The orchestra has been part of the Buffalo community since 1995, and has over 50 members. The orchestra is well known for the 'Concert in the Park' series they put on every summer for free to community members. The orchestra is also funded by business and residents of Buffalo and the surrounding area. Also in the area, are the Wright County Chamber Chorus, and the Wright Ringers bell choir. Buffalo is also the home to many antique shops [3] that have annual sales the first Thursday of every month.

Demographics

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $49,573, and the median income for a family was $59,250. Males had a median income of $39,960 versus $27,793 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,424. About 4.6% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,453 people, 5,699 households, and 3,970 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,155.2 inhabitants per square mile (832.1/km²). There were 6,044 housing units at an average density of 843.0 per square mile (325.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.1% White, 0.8% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population.

There were 5,699 households of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.3% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.17.

The median age in the city was 34.3 years. 29.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.3% were from 25 to 44; 21.7% were from 45 to 64; and 11.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.