Jobs, pay and daily life in Buffalo, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Buffalo is a city in Minnesota with 16,499 residents. The median household earns $88,820 a year and the median rent is $1,182 a month, which is 16.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,951,650 jobs.
How Buffalo compares. Among the 80 largest places in Minnesota, Buffalo is #69 by population, #79 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #62 for college degrees (#1 = most), #60 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Wright County, is #31 of 87 counties for average pay ($55,999).
Buffalo has 16,499 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Minnesota. It covers 8 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,126 people per square mile. The median age is 38.6, about the same as the state median (38.6 against 38.8).
The median gross rent is $1,182 a month (rent plus utilities), 8% below the state median ($1,182 against $1,280). Over a year that is 16.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $314,400, which is 3.5 times the median household income ($88,820); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 74.3% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (74.3% against 72.2%).
The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan area has 1,951,650 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $59,320 a year, 16% above the national median ($59,320 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (214,110 jobs, median $52,920); sales and related (165,000 jobs, median $43,520); food preparation and serving related (160,260 jobs, median $35,000). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (1.3 times) and healthcare support (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($132,590) and legal ($110,530). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Wright County was 4.0%. 67.2% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Wright County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 76.9% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 0.8% walk, 12.6% work from home. 20.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 92% above the state average (20.1% against 10.5%).
32.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 19% below the state share (32.0% against 39.4%). 4.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 51% below the state share (4.3% against 8.7%). The poverty rate is 8.9%, 4% below the state rate (8.9% against 9.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (22.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 13°F (-10.5°C). About 784 mm (31 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (122 mm) and Jan the driest (15 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: St. Michael (9 miles, rent 25% higher); Monticello (9 miles, rent 19% higher); Otsego (13 miles, rent 49% higher); Elk River (18 miles, rent 9% higher). Rent differences are against Buffalo; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Minnesota (792) →State guide: MinnesotaCountry guideWright CountyMinnesota rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 792 federal postings open in Minnesota (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Minnesota →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 93,560 | 1.73 | $38,860 | $33,760 | $46,860 | +9% |
| Retail Salespersons | 51,180 | 1.05 | $36,670 | $29,260 | $48,260 | +4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 44,890 | 1.02 | $103,570 | $49,640 | $220,960 | -2% |
| Registered Nurses | 43,600 | 1.03 | $103,040 | $82,180 | $133,450 | +6% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 38,630 | 1.19 | $49,480 | $36,180 | $73,920 | +11% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 37,920 | 0.78 | $33,040 | $28,920 | $37,490 | +6% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 36,700 | 0.99 | $47,320 | $36,450 | $61,770 | +18% |
| Office Clerks, General | 35,610 | 1.15 | $48,790 | $34,780 | $69,980 | +8% |
| Cashiers | 32,760 | 0.84 | $35,760 | $29,040 | $45,140 | +9% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 29,570 | 1.68 | $47,200 | $37,850 | $60,650 | +6% |
| Software Developers | 27,410 | 1.29 | $130,920 | $83,020 | $170,060 | -4% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 26,790 | 0.97 | $40,800 | $31,700 | $53,900 | +11% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 25,700 | 0.72 | $37,440 | $31,150 | $49,260 | +0% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 25,620 | 0.90 | $25,920 | $23,260 | $43,280 | -26% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 23,370 | 1.31 | $45,310 | $33,360 | $54,580 | +23% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 21,820 | 1.20 | $86,500 | $61,940 | $145,710 | +3% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 21,560 | 1.39 | $78,470 | $48,140 | $139,140 | +9% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 20,430 | 0.79 | $64,200 | $48,080 | $83,410 | +9% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 19,180 | 0.90 | $54,080 | $39,380 | $70,390 | +14% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 18,090 | 0.94 | $60,470 | $40,010 | $79,500 | +22% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 3,690 | 0.86 | $378,730 | $75,280 | $468,570 | +42% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 550 | 1.33 | $367,120 | $77,510 | $480,400 | +9% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,440 | 1.71 | $330,200 | $172,470 | $650,820 | +29% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,120 | 0.83 | $283,060 | $167,750 | $372,970 | +16% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 1,250 | 1.92 | $258,570 | $221,970 | $277,440 | +9% |
| Pediatricians, General | 600 | 1.22 | $226,280 | $83,920 | $315,930 | +8% |
| Dentists, General | 1,760 | 1.13 | $219,980 | $130,800 | $227,640 | +29% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 2,940 | 2.26 | $211,470 | $130,420 | $353,410 | -9% |
| Chief Executives | 4,500 | 1.75 | $209,980 | $102,310 | $479,550 | -2% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 620 | 2.20 | $179,670 | $99,230 | $222,000 | +21% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 8,780 | 1.04 | $178,080 | $122,210 | $286,300 | +2% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 3,820 | 1.38 | $174,510 | $131,640 | $227,560 | +2% |
| Marketing Managers | 6,480 | 1.31 | $173,040 | $103,510 | $281,830 | +4% |
| Financial Managers | 12,460 | 1.18 | $165,620 | $102,710 | $293,100 | -1% |
| Pharmacists | 4,160 | 1.03 | $160,990 | $79,060 | $172,670 | +14% |
| Lawyers | 10,160 | 1.07 | $159,620 | $85,810 | $352,210 | -0% |
| Human Resources Managers | 3,500 | 1.26 | $159,390 | $101,350 | $250,810 | +7% |
| Veterinarians | 1,470 | 1.40 | $158,200 | $86,560 | $218,830 | +22% |
| Sales Managers | 8,410 | 1.05 | $158,100 | $81,220 | $272,360 | +7% |
| Managers, All Other | 3,630 | 0.47 | $153,860 | $96,860 | $225,250 | +8% |
These figures are for the whole Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $59,320 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.5% |
| Manufacturing | 19.0% |
| Construction | 9.4% |
| Retail trade | 9.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.1% |
| Other services | 6.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.6% |
| Public administration | 3.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.8% |
| Information | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Buffalo lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wright County | 148,269 | $7,314 million | $49,330 | 48,758 | 3,984 | $55,999 | +3.2% | 4.0% | 86,163 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 7,197 | 18.5% | $33,636 | 1.48 |
| Manufacturing | 6,795 | 17.5% | $77,443 | 1.70 |
| Health care and social assistance | 6,635 | 17.1% | $48,754 | 0.95 |
| Construction | 4,737 | 12.2% | $80,443 | 1.85 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,600 | 11.8% | $21,758 | 1.04 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,761 | 4.5% | $85,708 | 0.92 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,697 | 4.4% | $56,635 | 0.59 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,677 | 4.3% | $38,188 | 1.14 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,049 | 2.7% | $68,279 | 0.31 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 939 | 2.4% | $15,356 | 1.15 |
| Finance and insurance | 858 | 2.2% | $90,059 | 0.43 |
| Educational services | 310 | 0.8% | $41,836 | 0.31 |
| Information | 266 | 0.7% | $62,413 | 0.29 |
| Real estate and rental | 205 | 0.5% | $51,086 | 0.27 |
| Management of companies | 186 | 0.5% | $85,016 | 0.23 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 76.9% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 0.8% |
| Work from home | 12.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 20.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $88,820 |
| Income per person | $39,807 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,182 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.0% |
| Median home value | $314,400 |
| Homeowners | 74.3% |
| Poverty rate | 8.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 104.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $59,320 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 9.85%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 38.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 32.0% |
| Born abroad | 4.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 67.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -10.5 | 13 | 15 |
| Feb | -8.8 | 16 | 25 |
| Mar | -0.5 | 31 | 41 |
| Apr | 7.1 | 45 | 78 |
| May | 13.9 | 57 | 106 |
| Jun | 19.9 | 68 | 122 |
| Jul | 22.9 | 73 | 88 |
| Aug | 21.2 | 70 | 99 |
| Sep | 16.7 | 62 | 82 |
| Oct | 8.0 | 46 | 66 |
| Nov | 0.6 | 33 | 30 |
| Dec | -7.1 | 19 | 32 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Michael | MN | 9 mi | 20,010 | $131,274 | $1,483 |
| Monticello | MN | 9 mi | 14,858 | $79,534 | $1,405 |
| Otsego | MN | 13 mi | 22,245 | $119,927 | $1,765 |
| Elk River | MN | 18 mi | 26,793 | $108,741 | $1,283 |
| Maple Grove | MN | 20 mi | 71,173 | $132,731 | $1,868 |
| Ramsey | MN | 21 mi | 28,421 | $116,415 | $1,826 |
| Plymouth | MN | 22 mi | 79,220 | $136,534 | $1,766 |
| Anoka | MN | 23 mi | 17,970 | $75,948 | $1,269 |
| Champlin | MN | 23 mi | 23,294 | $116,102 | $1,689 |
| New Hope | MN | 25 mi | 21,181 | $77,662 | $1,335 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
16,499 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,182 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.0% of the median household income.
$88,820 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.0% (BLS county, Wright County (latest month 2026M09)).
Minnesota. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.