The Buffalo metro area: Erie and Niagara counties · Population 1,161,343 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Buffalo area
Household size in the Buffalo area
| Period | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.39 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.33 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in the Buffalo area are small: just 2.33 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has edged down from 2.41 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Few large metro areas have smaller households: only two of 100.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Buffalo area
| Period | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.4 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.0 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
The median resident of the Buffalo area is 42.0 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.4, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Buffalo area
| Period | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in the Buffalo area (11.5%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is little changed from 2006–10, while the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Buffalo area
Renters in the Buffalo area
| Period | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.9% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.8% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.3% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.2% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in the Buffalo area rent their homes (33.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in New York overall (45.7%). Among homeowners, 45.6% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the southeast.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Buffalo area
| Period | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.4% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in the Buffalo area as nationally: 8.4%, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.2 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Buffalo area
| Period | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1958 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in the Buffalo area is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1960, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the west has the oldest housing. Only one other large metro area has older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Buffalo area
| Period | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $728 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $783 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $873 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,126 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$398 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in the Buffalo area costs $1,126 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $398 a month since 2006–10, up 55%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.6% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Buffalo area
Bachelor's degrees in the Buffalo area
| Period | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.6% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.6% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.3% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are just as common in the Buffalo area as nationally: 35.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher. The share is lower than in New York overall (39.8%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 8.0 points, mirroring the country.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Buffalo area
| Period | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.2% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.8% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in the Buffalo area have finished high school (91.9%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 3.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Buffalo area
| Period | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.4%, unemployment in the Buffalo area is the same as the national rate. The rate is lower than in New York overall (6.6%). Unemployment has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Buffalo area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo area (all) | 2.33 | 42.0 | 11.5% | 33.2% | 8.4% | 1960 | $1,126 | 35.6% | 91.9% | 5.4% |
| Tonawanda | 2.15 | 43.8 | 9.9% | 27.0% | 5.7% | 1954 | $1,101 | 36.3% | 94.5% | 4.3% |
| Cheektowaga | 2.20 | 41.6 | 9.8% | 29.1% | 6.0% | 1960 | $1,017 | 30.4% | 92.8% | 3.7% |
| Niagara Falls | 2.19 | 41.9 | 15.6% | 37.7% | 11.5% | 1955 | $973 | 22.7% | 89.7% | 10.0% |
| West Seneca | 2.27 | 44.5 | 8.8% | 23.2% | 6.6% | 1966 | $1,074 | 34.4% | 94.5% | 4.7% |
| North Tonawanda | 2.29 | 44.8 | 9.5% | 27.2% | 5.8% | 1967 | $1,074 | 31.4% | 93.7% | 5.5% |
| Hamburg | 2.24 | 47.2 | 8.3% | 22.8% | 4.6% | 1972 | $1,184 | 39.7% | 95.0% | 5.0% |
| Lockport | 2.32 | 41.5 | 13.0% | 29.9% | 8.4% | 1963 | $977 | 30.3% | 92.1% | 4.6% |
| Orchard Park | 2.35 | 48.0 | 5.8% | 26.6% | 4.4% | 1976 | $1,371 | 52.4% | 97.6% | 4.2% |
| Lancaster | 2.37 | 46.4 | 7.4% | 18.2% | 5.4% | 1980 | $1,215 | 42.4% | 95.4% | 2.4% |
| DePew | 2.28 | 43.5 | 7.2% | 26.6% | 5.5% | 1968 | $1,090 | 30.6% | 93.1% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Honolulu area · Tucson area · Rochester area · Grand Rapids area · Fresno area · Birmingham area · Hartford area · Salt Lake City area · Richmond area · Memphis area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Buffalo area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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