Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population

1.16M

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

40.9

0.491% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

13.8%

0.333% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$72,237

2.36% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$226,100

7.87% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

563,435

0.273% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.2% of the residents in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY are University at Buffalo (10,056 degrees awarded in 2023), Bryant & Stratton College-Online (1,923 degrees), and SUNY Buffalo State University (1,835 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY was $226,100, and the homeownership rate was 66.8%.

Most people in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY was 2 cars per household.

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY borders Batavia, NY, Jamestown-Dunkirk-Fredonia, NY, Olean, NY, and Rochester, NY.

About the photo: The two American falls in Niagara Falls, New York

Photo by Alessandro Grussu

United States New York

Population & Diversity

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY is home to a population of 1.16M people, from which 97.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.82% of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY residents were born outside of the country (79.2k people).

In 2024, there were 6.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (860k people) in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 128k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 48.9k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.2%

2024 Citizenship

97.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.2% of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY was 97.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

White (Non-Hispanic)
860k ± 1.48k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
128k ± 2.08k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
48.9k ± 774

5.97%

Hispanic Population

69.4k people

5.97% of the people in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY are hispanic (69.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for New York.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
493,200 ± 17,027 people
China
410,969 ± 15,575 people
Jamaica
234,174 ± 11,811 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 493,200 New York residents, followed by China with 410,969 and Jamaica with 234,174.

Foreign-Born Population

6.82%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

79.2k people

6.51%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

75.7k people

As of 2024, 6.82% of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY residents (79.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY was 6.51%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
19,022 ± 979
Gulf War (2001-)
10,267 ± 859
Gulf War (1990s)
7,635 ± 767

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.85 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY.

Economy

The economy of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY employs 563k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY were Health Care & Social Assistance (93,403 people), Educational Services (64,810 people), and Retail Trade (61,881 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($104,135), Utilities ($89,357), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($83,537).

Employment

Occupations

563k

2024 Value

± 6,215

−0.273%

1 Year decline

± 1.54%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY declined at a rate of −0.273%, from 565k employees to 563k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (67,127 people), Management Occupations (59,903 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (53,058 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New York (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

563k

2024 Value

± 6,215

−0.273%

1 Year decline

± 1.54%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY declined at a rate of −0.273%, from 565k employees to 563k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (93,403 people), Educational Services (64,810 people), and Retail Trade (61,881 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, though some of these residents may live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$57,067

Median earning men ± $925

$43,679

Median earning women ± $680

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,853), Public Administration ($80,290), and Wholesale Trade ($71,245).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($62,775), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,872), and Wholesale Trade ($50,187).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

Y-Axis

2.74%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 9.56M people employed in New York. This represents a 2.74% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 19.7%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New York.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,801
Construction
1,790
Other Services (except Public Administration)
1,633
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$5.04M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$3.77M
Manufacturing
$2.8M
Finance and Insurance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY awarded 21,553 degrees. The student population of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 30,788 male students and 45,901 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY are White (11,480 and 63%), Black or African American (2,558 and 14%), Asian (1,569 and 8.61%), and Hispanic or Latino (1,208 and 6.63%).

The largest universities in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY by number of degrees awarded are University at Buffalo (10,056 and 46.7%), Bryant & Stratton College-Online (1,923 and 8.92%), and SUNY Buffalo State University (1,835 and 8.51%).

The most popular majors in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY are General Business Administration & Management (1,486 and 6.89%), Registered Nursing (997 and 4.63%), and General Psychology (693 and 3.22%).

The median tuition costs in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY are $29,300 for private four year colleges, and $7,070 and $22,175 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 73.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 76,689 (40.1% men and 59.9% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 76,689 students enrolled in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, 40.1% men and 59.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 37,298 records, of which 60.9% were women and 39.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
1,027 degrees awarded
General Psychology
659 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
548 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY was General Business Administration & Management with 1,027 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University at Buffalo
10,056 degrees awarded
Bryant & Stratton College-Online
1,923 degrees awarded
SUNY Buffalo State University
1,835 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University at Buffalo with 10,056 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 8,605 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, which is 0.665 times less than the 12,948 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 11,480 degrees mean that there were 4.49 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 2,558 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($29,300) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,564) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,550) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY was $226,100 in 2024, which is 0.68 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $209,600 to $226,100, a 7.87% increase. The homeownership rate in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY is 66.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY have an average commute time of 21.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$226,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$1,508

$335,035

Median Property Taxes

±$3,986

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

66.8%

Homeownership

2024

62%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 66.8% of the housing units in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$72,237

Median Household Income

± $940

502k

Number of Households

± 5,697

In 2024, the median household income of the 502k households in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY grew to $72,237 from the previous year's value of $70,572.

The following chart displays the households in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY is from New York.

0.493

2023 Wage GINI in New York

0.494

2022 Wage GINI in New York

In 2023, the income inequality in New York was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0797% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New York in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New York across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (73.2%)
Worked At Home (12.5%)
Carpooled (7.71%)

In 2024, 73.2% of workers in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.5%) and those who carpooled to work (7.71%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY have a shorter commute time (21.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.38% of the workforce in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY (156k out of 1.13M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

97.1% of the population of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY has health coverage, with 48.2% on employee plans, 21.6% on Medicaid, 14.3% on Medicare, 12.1% on non-group plans, and 0.887% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in New York see 1,245 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,245 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1205 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 265 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

1,245 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in New York

Primary care physicians in New York see an average of 1,245 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,245 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in New York in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.6% under 18 years, 21% between 18 and 34 years, 38.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

2.92%

Uninsured

48.2%

Employer Coverage

21.6%

Medicaid

14.3%

Medicare

12.1%

Non-Group

0.887%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY grew by 7.44% from 2.72% to 2.92%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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