Buffalo County, South Dakota Housing Market

In Buffalo County, South Dakota, the median home value is $117,800, with a median monthly rent of $540. This places Buffalo County at #2678 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #56 within South Dakota.

Median Home Value $117,800
Median Rent $540/mo
Owner Occupancy 52.6%
Price/Rent Ratio 18.2

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

ℹ️ FHFA HPI data is not available for this county due to limited mortgage transaction volume.

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

0
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $0
  • Establishments: 13
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🚚

Migration Patterns

+0
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 459 (avg $37,800)
  • Outflow: 459 (avg $37,800)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Buffalo County Compares

MetricBuffalo CountySouth Dakota AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $117,800 $181,021 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $540 $784 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 52.6% 72.6% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 18.2 19.0 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Buffalo County is 34.9% below the South Dakota state average and 48.3% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $540/month is 31.1% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 18.2, the buy-vs-rent decision in Buffalo County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Buffalo County has an owner-occupancy rate of 52.6%, compared to 72.6% in South Dakota and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more renter-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Adair County Oklahoma $117,800 $667
Crawford County Indiana $117,700 $686
Logan County Kansas $117,900 $840
Coke County Texas $117,900 $729
Braxton County West Virginia $117,900 $606

Other Counties in South Dakota

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Jackson County $117,300 $442 67.3%
Campbell County $115,900 $760 76.3%
Perkins County $114,600 $738 78.4%
Potter County $121,300 $1,008 81.5%
Spink County $123,300 $734 72.7%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).