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Buying a home in Buffalo, Minnesota

The typical owner-occupied home in Buffalo is worth about $314,400, 5% below the Minnesota median of $329,300 and 6% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,484 a year in property taxes, about 1.11% of their home's value, higher than the Minnesota rate of 1.02%. The median household earns $88,820 a year, so the median home costs 3.5 times the median income (3.7 times for Minnesota). 74% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 75% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Buffalo at a glance

Buffalo Minnesota U.S.
Median home value $314,400 $329,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,484 $3,357 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.11% 1.02% 0.94%
Median household income $88,820 $89,062 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 74% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 75% 64% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,047 $1,947 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 23.9% 19.7% 21.0%
Median rent $1,182 $1,280 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 28.5% 29.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1993 1979 1980
Vacant homes 2.7% 9.3% 10.1%
Population 16,499 5,739,445 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Buffalo

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Buffalo home of $314,400 with 20% down costs about $2,114 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,638, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $90,592 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 29% of the median Buffalo household income of $88,820; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $308,000.

The median rent here is $1,182 a month, so owning the median home costs about $932 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$62,880
Loan amount$251,520
Principal and interest$1,692
Property taxes (1.11% a year)$291
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$131
PMI$0
Total per month$2,114

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$11,004
Loan amount$308,705
Principal and interest$2,077
Property taxes (1.11% a year)$291
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$131
FHA mortgage insurance$139
Total per month$2,638

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Questions about home buying in Buffalo

What is the median home value in Buffalo?

About $314,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Buffalo?

Homeowners pay a median $3,484 a year, which is about 1.11% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Buffalo?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,114 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $90,592 a year.

More about Buffalo

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data