Buffalo Prairie is a community in Mercer County, Illinois, home to about 9 people across 3.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 61237, and parts of 61279 are in Buffalo Prairie too.
Homes sold for a median of $128 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
All in Buffalo Prairie
Mostly Reynolds; part is in Buffalo Prairie
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Buffalo Prairie. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Buffalo Prairie’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)152 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Quad City International Airport (MLI)14 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Madison, WI138 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL161 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Buffalo Prairie; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
It’s the 1449th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.
Mercer County grew from 20,945 residents in 1900 to 15,699 in 2020.
Mercer County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 13°F. About 39.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 22 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Aledo, IL weather station (9 miles away).
2,200 jobs at 258 businesses in Mercer County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2022 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
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Shares ZIP codes with Reynolds and Hamlet.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.