How Does Buffalo, New York Compare To Buffalo, Minnesota?

We. Are. Buffalo. We’ve been saying it for years. Buffalonians have been celebrating city pride for as long as we can remember. We don’t want to “keep Buffalo a secret.” We are loud and proud to be from Buffalo. 

But did you know that some people can also call themselves proud Buffalonians - and they live almost a thousand miles away?

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Buffalo, Minnesota vs Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, Minnesota, located about 42 miles west of Minneapolis, was founded in 1856 and named after their nearby Buffalo Lake. According to the latest available census data, Buffalo, MN has an approximate population of 18,042 and stretches a total area of 9.64 square miles.

Buffalo, New York is obviously much, much bigger - boasting a population of 278,349 according to the 2020 census, and ranking it the 78th-largest city in the United States. Buffalo, New York’s size doesn’t even compare to its Minnesota namesake, stretching over 52.5 square miles.

Which Buffalo is really the better Buffalo?

But just because Buffalo, New York is a lot larger - population and area-wise - than Buffalo, Minnesota, is it really better? Which Buffalo really is the better Buffalo?

Let’s compare two very different Buffalo’s in the US to break down which Buffalo really is the better Buffalo.

Cost Of Living

Although they are much smaller population-wise, it’s actually much more expensive to live in Buffalo, Minnesota than in Buffalo, New York. According to bestplaces.net, Buffalo, MN is 26.3% more overall costly to live in, with housing costs being a whopping 163.7% more expensive than Buffalo housing costs. For example, the median cost of a house in Buffalo, NY for 2022 is $86,300 compared to $224,900 in Buffalo, MN. 

Winner: Buffalo, New York

Crime

One thing Buffalo, New York doesn’t have going for it is its crime rate. 

In 2020, there were a total of 61 murders reported in Buffalo, NY (24 for every 100,000 people), and 1,018 violent crimes reported for every 100,000 people. Compared to 2019 data that shows Buffalo, MN only had  1,730 incidents reported in total for every 100,000 people, it’s easy to say that Buffalo, Minnesota is a much safer city than it’s New York namesake. 

Winner: Buffalo, Minnesota

Weather

You guessed it - Buffalo, New York doesn’t fare well here either when it comes to the weather. So far in 2022, Buffalo has gotten 96” of snow - more than any medium or major city in the United States - while Buffalo, Minnesota averages just 48” per year. They also average 199 sunny days per year compared to 155 in Buffalo, New York, and average only 30 inches of rain compared to our 39. 

Winner: Buffalo, Minnesota

Parks & Recreation

Buffalo Minnesota has two beautiful lakes their residents can enjoy - Buffalo Lake and Lake Pulaski - along with over 25 parks and over 45 miles of biking and hiking trails, so there are plenty of ways to enjoy the great outdoors there. 

However, In comparison, Buffalo, New York - a city that was literally designed to be “a city within a park,” there just, well, isn’t a comparison. Roughly 90% of Buffalo residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Throw in all the amazing beaches and waterfronts along Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the Niagara River…

Yeah. Sorry, Minnesota.

Winner: Buffalo, New York

Sports

Your best bet to catch some action in Buffalo, Minnesota is to head over to their local high school or drive an hour to Minneapolis, while here in Buffalo, New York, we’ve got the Bills, Sabres, Bisons, Beauts, Bandits…take your pick. 

Winner: Buffalo, New York

Pizza

Let’s end with the thing in Buffalo nearest and dearest to our hearts - the food. 

When researching restaurants in Buffalo, Minnesota, we only found seven that had pizza on their menu - and the majority of them were national chains. A place called Buffalo Pizza did look promising, but get real. 

In 2018, Buffalo, New York was listed as having over 600 pizzerias - one for every 428 people in our city - making Buffalo, NY one of the highest pizza-per capita cities in the nation. 

Plus, let’s be honest - Buffalo, NY pizza is just better. 

Winner: Buffalo, New York

Which is better overall: Buffalo, NY, or Buffalo, MN?

We know this isn’t exactly fair. Comparing Buffalo, Minnesota to Buffalo, New York is comparing apples and oranges. Both have unique offerings their residents love, and the cities couldn’t be more different regarding size and population. But if we have to pick an overall city to be the best Buffalo in the United States, the answer is clear. 

Winner: Buffalo, New York

Come on - did you really think we’d pick the other one?