Buffalo is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Johnson County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 4,415 at the 2020 census, down from 4,585 at the 2010 census. The city had experienced an economic boom due to

methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The abundance of methane on Earth makes ...

production from the Coal Bed Methane Extraction method used in the Powder River Basin and surrounding areas. With the decline of methane production, Buffalo's population has stabilized since the 2010 Census. Even though energy is a vital part of its economy, agriculture, tourism, and recreation are three other major components. Buffalo is located at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains. The city is located almost equidistant between Yellowstone Park and Mount Rushmore.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 3,900 people, 1,718 households, and 1,042 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 1,104.8 people per square mile (426.6/km²). There were 1,842 housing units at an average density of 521.8 per square mile (201.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.46%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.10%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.82% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 2.03% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.82% of the population. There were 1,718 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,392, and the median income for a family was $40,683. Males had a median income of $28,716 versus $19,688 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $19,054. About 6.7% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 4,585 people, 2,080 households, and 1,198 families living in the city. The

was . There were 2,300 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.5%

, 0.3%

, 1.6% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population. There were 2,080 households, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.4% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 42.2 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 27.7% were from 45 to 64; and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Buffalo has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Buffalo was on August 5, 1979, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 17, 1930.

Government and infrastructure

The Wyoming Department of Health Veteran's Home of Wyoming, an assisted living facility for veterans and their dependents, is located in Buffalo. The facility was operated by the Wyoming Board of Charities and Reform until that agency was dissolved as a result of a state constitutional amendment passed in November 1990.About the Department of Corrections
" Wyoming Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 22, 2010. Buffalo also has an airport named Johnson County Airport/KBYG.

Education

Public education in the city of Buffalo is provided by Johnson County School District #1. Schools serving the city include Meadowlark Elementary School (grades K-2) Cloud Peak Elementary School (grades 3–5), Clear Creek Middle School (grades 6–8), and Buffalo High School (grades 9–12). Buffalo High School was in the national news spotlight after the (former) head football coach, distributed an offensive "hurt feelings report" in November 2011. This attention brought several heated school board meetings and eventually lead to the resignation of Lynch as the head football coach. Buffalo has a public library, the Johnson County Library.

Transportation

Buffalo is located near the northern terminus of Interstate 25, where it joins with Interstate 90. The city is served by a general aviation airfield, the Johnson County Airport (Wyoming), which does not have scheduled passenger air service. Airports in the region which do have airline service include: * Sheridan ( SHR) - Approx. 1/2-hour drive to Buffalo * Gillette ( GCC) - Approx. 1-hour drive to Buffalo * Casper ( CPR) - Approx. 1.5-hour drive to Buffalo * Billings ( BIL) - Approx. 2+hours drive to Buffalo

Public transport

Buffalo and its surroundings are served by the Buffalo Area Transit System which is a paratransit service operated by the Buffalo Senior Center Buffalo Area Transit System also offers trips to Sheridan and Casper. Intercity bus service to the city is provided by Express Arrow and Jefferson Lines.

Media

Radio

* KBBS AM 1450 "Classic Country" * KBTG FM 88.3 "Buffalo's Traditional Gospel" * KBUW FM 90.5 Wyoming Public Radio * KLGT FM 96.5 "KIX 96.5" * KZZS FM 98.3 "The Peak"

Notable people

* Mark Gordon (born 1957), businessman, rancher from Buffalo and Wyoming

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

* Frank E. Lucas (1876–1948), Governor of Wyoming * Mathew Pitsch (born 1963), Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Fort Smith since 2015; Buffalo native * Chris Prosinski (born 1987), safety for the Chicago Bears; previously played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles * Constantine Scollen (1841–1902), missionary, resident priest from 1893 to 1894 * Joe Tiller (1942–2017), head football coach

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

(six years) and Purdue (nine years), winningest coach ever at Purdue

References

External links

Chamber of Commerce website
* {{authority control Cities in Wyoming Cities in Johnson County, Wyoming County seats in Wyoming