Population 9,561 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Elma
Household size in Elma
| Period | Elma | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.41 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.39 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.33 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.33 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.08 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Elma run a little small, averaging 2.57 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Even so, the typical household here is bigger than in the Buffalo area overall, where it has 2.33 people. Household size has crept up from 2.51 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.8 | 40.4 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.8 | 41.2 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.7 | 41.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.3 | 42.0 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.5 | +1.6 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
Elma skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has dropped from 46.8 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 11.7% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 12.1% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 11.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 11.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −0.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Elma: 7.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.1 points, even as 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 Elma
Renters in Elma
| Period | Elma | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 32.9% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 33.8% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 34.3% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 33.2% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +0.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.2% of households in Elma rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than four in ten owners (43.0%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share is up 5.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 10.6% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 10.3% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 10.0% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 8.4% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Elma: just 4.8% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has edged down 0.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1958 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1960 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +3 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Elma run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1972 against 1980. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in the Buffalo area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1960. The median year built has moved up from 1965 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the center, while the southwest has the oldest housing.
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $767 | $728 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $686 | $783 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,058 | $873 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,168 | $1,126 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$402 | +$398 | +$698 | +$606 |
Rent in Elma runs $1,168 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $402 a month since 2006–10, up 52%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 25.7% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the center.
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 Elma
Bachelor's degrees in Elma
| Period | Elma | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.5% | 27.6% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.2% | 29.6% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.7% | 32.3% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.2% | 35.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.7 pts | +8.0 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in Elma (44.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 12.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the east.
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.7% | 88.2% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.2% | 89.8% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.4% | 91.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.6% | 91.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +3.7 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Elma: 97.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 3.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only 28 of the 488 New York cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Elma
| Period | Elma | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 8.0% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.5% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 4.8% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 5.4% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.0%, unemployment in Elma is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged up 1.2 points, even as the national rate fell. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
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).
Elma compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elma | 2.57 | 44.3 | 7.3% | 12.2% | 4.8% | 1972 | $1,168 | 44.2% | 97.6% | 5.0% |
| Marilla | 2.63 | 45.7 | 2.1% | 6.7% | 6.6% | 1972 | $974 | 38.1% | 94.8% | 2.4% |
| East Aurora | 2.36 | 50.3 | 6.3% | 13.8% | 5.8% | 1961 | $1,071 | 47.3% | 96.7% | 3.9% |
| Lancaster | 2.37 | 46.4 | 7.4% | 18.2% | 5.4% | 1980 | $1,215 | 42.4% | 95.4% | 2.4% |
| Town Line | 2.50 | 43.8 | 10.1% | 7.7% | 4.8% | 1972 | $969 | 30.9% | 94.6% | 1.8% |
| DePew | 2.28 | 43.5 | 7.2% | 26.6% | 5.5% | 1968 | $1,090 | 30.6% | 93.1% | 3.1% |
| West Seneca | 2.27 | 44.5 | 8.8% | 23.2% | 6.6% | 1966 | $1,074 | 34.4% | 94.5% | 4.7% |
| Taylorshire | 2.58 | 45.9 | 8.7% | 18.5% | 9.1% | 1983 | $997 | 41.3% | 91.7% | 7.4% |
| Orchard Park | 2.35 | 48.0 | 5.8% | 26.6% | 4.4% | 1976 | $1,371 | 52.4% | 97.6% | 4.2% |
| Alden | 2.48 | 44.1 | 9.6% | 16.4% | 5.0% | 1963 | $966 | 22.2% | 92.0% | 4.1% |
| Bowmansville | 2.22 | 57.7 | 4.0% | 25.6% | 16.5% | 1995 | $2,070 | 31.5% | 91.1% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cresskill, NJ · Crozet, VA · Croydon, PA · Crownsville, MD · Crosswicks, NJ · Cross Lanes, WV · Crittenden, KY · Rupert, ID · Crestwood Village, NJ · Crystal Springs, MS
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 Elma. 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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