Buffalo County GIS Maps
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Buffalo County, South Dakota, has 1,948 residents and covers 471.4 square miles. The population grew 1.9% between the 2010 and 2020 census. More residents moved in than left over that decade. The FIPS code for Buffalo County is 46017.
Fort Thompson is the county's largest population center. Buffalo County also includes 2 zip codes, 3 public school districts and 15 municipalities. Those boundaries help explain why population, schools, and housing can look different from one part of the county to another. The map below shows how those county lines, zip codes, and school districts fit together, and the sections that follow use that same geography to show population, demographics, school enrollment and housing patterns in more detail.
Maps, GIS layers and sample data. Paid packages add full layers, analytics and database files.
Buffalo County Trends
- Population
- 1,948▴
- Median Home Value
- $108,000▴
- K-12 Enrollment
- 1,666▴
County analytics dashboards with historical trends & projections included in package downloads.
Free starter access previews county maps, lightweight GIS, and sample data. Paid packages unlock full GIS layers, analytics, and database files.
Buffalo County Maps
The maps below show a few of the county map styles included in our downloads. County packages include map exports in JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF and GeoTIFF formats plus more than 20 GIS layers for mapping, research and analysis. Available layers include zip codes, area codes, subdivisions, school districts, political boundaries, roads, water features, points of interest and more.
County packages also include historical county demographics, business intelligence, analytical dashboards, AI-ready prompts, markdown files and related reference data. Everything is organized to save hours of manual work collecting current data, cleaning it and joining it together. That makes it easier to move faster on analytics, due diligence, business planning and location research. Paid packages are built for commercial use, but some package contents include source-specific attribution or notice guidance. Review Licensing & Data Source Notices.
Buffalo County Population
Buffalo County had 1,948 residents in 2020. That was 1.9% higher than in 2010. Buffalo County had 84 fewer people in 2020 than it did in 2000, which points to a long-term population decline. The county is fairly spread out, with about 4 people per square mile. Two of the county's most populated postal areas are Fort Thompson and Gann Valley.
Population Trend in Buffalo County SD
Buffalo County Population per 2000, 2010 and 2020 census counts with a baseline 2030 projection.
Buffalo County Zip Codes
Buffalo County has 2 zip codes. Two of the county's most populated zip codes are Fort Thompson (57339) and Gann Valley (57341). Fort Thompson is the largest zip by population, with about 1,413 residents or 73% of the county total. Together, the three largest zips account for about 80% of all county residents based on 2020 population estimates.
Most Populated Zip Codes in Buffalo County SD
| ZIP | Area | Population | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57339 | Fort Thompson | 1,413 | ▾ -7.3% |
| 57341 | Gann Valley | 137 | ▾ -9.3% |
| Download all zip code data | |||
Buffalo County Zip Code populations and trends per most recent census data.
Buffalo County Demographics
Buffalo County has a median age of 26.2, which makes the county a little younger than South Dakota overall. About 36.3% of residents are under 18, while 9.3% are 65 or older. That gives the county a fairly even mix of younger families and older adults. The largest age group is Under 18 at about 36.3% of the population, which suggests the county has a notable share of children and family households. About 7% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the statewide figure of 31.1%. The county has a more diverse population mix, with no single race or ethnicity accounting for all of the local story.
Key Demographics for Buffalo County SD
Median Age
26.2
Under 18
36.3%
Age 65+
9.3%
Bachelor's+
7%
Buffalo County School Districts
Buffalo County is served by 3 public school districts with 1,666 students enrolled in 2024. The largest districts on the county map are Chamberlain 07-1, Wessington Springs 36-2 and Kimball 07-2. Those three districts account for about 100% of public school enrollment in the map area. Total enrollment has grown modestly since 2017 across the districts shown on the county map.
Largest School Districts by Enrollment in Buffalo County SD
| District | Enrollment | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chamberlain School District 07-1 | 858 | 51.5% | ▴ 1.2% |
| Wessington Springs School District 36-2 | 461 | 27.7% | ▴ 7.5% |
| Kimball School District 07-2 | 347 | 20.8% | ▾ -4.4% |
| Download all school district data | |||
Buffalo County school district enrollment and trends per most recent NCES reporting data.
Buffalo County Housing & Real Estate
Buffalo County has a median home value of $108,000 and a median gross rent of $535. About 53% of occupied homes in the county are owner-occupied, so the local housing market leans heavily toward ownership. Home values run below the South Dakota median, while rents come in below the state average. In October 2023, the median listing price was $219,000 and homes spent about 34 days on the market.
Buffalo County Housing Mix
Buffalo County housing mix: owner, renter and vacant units.
Buffalo County Housing Trends
Buffalo County median home value and rent trend (last 5 years).
Businesses in Buffalo County, SD
Buffalo County has 37 business listings across 33 categories. The largest categories in Buffalo County business listings are Farm (2, 5.4%), Hotels (2, 5.4%), and Chicken Restaurant (2, 5.4%). The full Buffalo County business listings dataset includes names, categories, addresses and contact details where available. Buffalo County packages also include U.S. Census County Business Patterns data with establishment counts, employment and payroll by industry sector.
Top Business Categories in Buffalo County, SD
| Category | Businesses | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Farm | 2 | 5.4% |
| Hotels | 2 | 5.4% |
| Chicken Restaurant | 2 | 5.4% |
| Landmark And Historical Building | 2 | 5.4% |
| Fitness Trainer | 1 | 2.7% |
| Catholic Church | 1 | 2.7% |
| Public And Government Association | 1 | 2.7% |
| Taco Restaurant | 1 | 2.7% |
| Gyms & Fitness | 1 | 2.7% |
| Business Consulting | 1 | 2.7% |
Buffalo County Business Listings
| Business | Category | City |
|---|---|---|
| Hunkpati Investments | Business Consulting | Fort Thompson |
| High Plainz Dispensary | Cannabis Clinic | Fort Thompson |
| St Joseph's Catholic Church | Catholic Church | Fort Thompson |
| Champs Chicken | Chicken Restaurant | Fort Thompson |
| Amiyah Online | Community Center | Ventura |
| Wiconi Wawokiya Inc | Community & Nonprofits | Fort Thompson |
| Shelby's | Convenience Stores | Fort Thompson |
| Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Court | Courthouse | Fort Thompson |
| Family Dollar | Discount Store | Fort Thompson |
| Horizon Health - Fort Thompson | Medical Offices | Fort Thompson |
| Download Buffalo County business listings | ||
Buffalo County business listings sourced from Overture Maps. Includes locations with a high level of confidence.
Buffalo County Basemaps
Buffalo County map and data packages include a set of useful basemaps to help you get started quickly. These include a custom light grey canvas, USGS topo, imagery and other reference layers that make it easier to build clear, meaningful county maps using the included GIS layers, your own data or both. Pre-rendered map tiles for the light grey basemap are included so you can use them offline or host them on your own CDN.
Get the Full Buffalo County Data Package
This page shows a preview of what's included in the Buffalo County data package. The full package gives you a ready-to-use county data system with GIS layers, historical data, maps, database files and planning tools that save hours of manual data gathering, cleanup and joins. Everything is organized to help you skip data wrangling and start analysis faster.
- 20+ GIS layers for zip codes, school districts, roads, water, boundaries and more
- Historical county demographics, housing, income and trend data
- ZIP code population files and school district enrollment history
- Database files, markdowns, AI-ready prompts and documentation
- Map exports in PNG, JPEG, PDF, SVG and GeoTIFF formats
- Offline-ready data explorer, map and analytics tools
Paid packages support commercial use, client work, and derived outputs. Some package contents may include source-specific attribution or provider notices. See Licensing & Data Source Notices.
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See exactly what is included in a county data package. Inspect how files are organized, the interactive data explorer and how maps and analytics are laid out. The demo loads a real sample package from South Dakota — explore the full structure before you buy.
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Nearby Counties
Browse county data pages for the counties that border Buffalo County. These nearby pages include the same mix of county maps, demographic summaries, school district context, housing trends and package links.