Buffalo, NY

Census Place

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2023 Population

276,397

0.105% 1-year decline

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

34.3

1.18% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

27.4%

0.728% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$48,050

4.04% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$152,300

15.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

122,642

0.881% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Buffalo, NY had a population of 276k people with a median age of 34.3 and a median household income of $48,050. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Buffalo, NY declined from 276,688 to 276,397, a −0.105% decrease and its median household income grew from $46,184 to $48,050, a 4.04% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Buffalo, NY are White (Non-Hispanic) (42.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (31.8%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (8.17%), Other (Hispanic) (5.31%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.92%).

None of the households in Buffalo, 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.

95.1% of the residents in Buffalo, NY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Buffalo, NY are SUNY Buffalo State University (2,064 degrees awarded in 2022), Erie Community College (1,698 degrees), and Canisius College (936 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Buffalo, NY was $152,300, and the homeownership rate was 42.7%.

Most people in Buffalo, NY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Buffalo, NY was 1 car per household.

About the photo: Buffalo City Hall at twilight.

Photo by Aneurysm9

United States New York Erie County, NY Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

Population & Diversity

Buffalo, NY is home to a population of 276k people, from which 95.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 10.3% of Buffalo, NY residents were born outside of the country (28.4k people).

In 2023, there were 1.34 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (118k people) in Buffalo, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 87.9k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 22.6k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.1%

2023 Citizenship

94.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 95.1% of Buffalo, NY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Buffalo, NY was 94.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Buffalo, NY

White (Non-Hispanic)
118k ± 2.14k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
87.9k ± 2.34k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
22.6k ± 1.39k

12.7%

Hispanic Population

35.2k people

12.7% of the people in Buffalo, NY are hispanic (35.2k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Buffalo, NY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
505,872 ± 17,239 people
China
415,960 ± 15,668 people
Jamaica
230,433 ± 11,717 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 505,872 New York residents, followed by China with 415,960 and Jamaica with 230,433.

Foreign-Born Population

10.3%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

28.4k people

10.5%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

29.1k people

As of 2023, 10.3% of Buffalo, NY residents (28.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Buffalo, NY was 10.5%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,914 ± 383
Gulf War (2001-)
2,259 ± 453
Gulf War (1990s)
1,755 ± 365

Buffalo, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.29 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Buffalo, NY employs 123k people. The largest industries in Buffalo, NY are Health Care & Social Assistance (23,765 people), Educational Services (14,772 people), and Retail Trade (12,815 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($83,462), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($74,063), and Public Administration ($67,343).

Males in New York have an average income that is 1.27 times higher than the average income of females, which is $77,694. The income inequality in New York (measured using the Gini index) is 0.494, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

123k

2023 Value

± 3,068

−0.881%

1 Year decline

± 3.59%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Buffalo, NY declined at a rate of −0.881%, from 124k employees to 123k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Buffalo, NY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (14,275 people), Management Occupations (10,244 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (10,177 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Buffalo, NY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

123k

2023 Value

± 3,068

−0.881%

1 Year decline

± 3.59%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Buffalo, NY declined at a rate of −0.881%, from 124k employees to 123k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Buffalo, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (23,765 people), Educational Services (14,772 people), and Retail Trade (12,815 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Buffalo, NY, though some of these residents may live in Buffalo, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,796

Median earning men ± $1,494

$35,321

Median earning women ± $1,036

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($72,823), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,338), and Wholesale Trade ($60,938).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($64,006), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,579), and Construction ($48,804).

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.

Education

In 2022, universities in Buffalo, NY awarded 6,989 degrees. The student population of Buffalo, NY in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 9,245 male students and 13,739 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Buffalo, NY are White (4,424 and 64.6%), followed by Black or African American (1,071 and 15.6%), Hispanic or Latino (435 and 6.35%), and Unknown (414 and 6.04%).

The largest universities in Buffalo, NY by number of degrees awarded are SUNY Buffalo State University (2,064 and 29.5%), Erie Community College (1,698 and 24.3%), and Canisius College (936 and 13.4%).

The most popular majors in Buffalo, NY are General Business Administration & Management (526 and 7.53%), Registered Nursing (523 and 7.48%), and General Studies (411 and 5.88%).

The median tuition costs in Buffalo, NY are $29,980 for private four year colleges, and $7,070 and $16,980 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Buffalo, NY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 82.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 22,984 (40.2% men and 59.8% 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 2022 there were 22,984 students enrolled in Buffalo, NY, 40.2% men and 59.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 12,305 records, of which 60.1% were women and 39.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
255 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
176 degrees awarded
General Psychology
128 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Buffalo, NY was General Business Administration & Management with 255 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

SUNY Buffalo State University
2,064 degrees awarded
Erie Community College
1,698 degrees awarded
Canisius College
936 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was SUNY Buffalo State University with 2,064 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 2,577 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Buffalo, NY, which is 0.584 times less than the 4,412 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4,424 degrees mean that there were 4.13 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,071 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 ($29,980) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,416) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 1.7% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.75% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (4.04M), Bachelors Degree (3.33M), and Some college (2.79M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Buffalo, NY was $152,300 in 2023, which is 0.502 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $132,100 to $152,300, a 15.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Buffalo, NY is 42.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Buffalo, NY have an average commute time of 19.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Buffalo, NY is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Median household income in Buffalo, NY is $48,050. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Buffalo, NY was Census Tract 48 with a value of $106,635, followed by Census Tract 45 and Census Tract 63.02, with respective values of $99,430 and $92,000.

Housing

Property

$152,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$6,755

$51,012

Median Property Taxes

±$1,919

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, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

42.7%

Homeownership

2023

61.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 42.7% of the housing units in Buffalo, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 42.6%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 48
Census Tract 45
Census Tract 63.02

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Buffalo, NY was Census Tract 48 with a value of $106,635, followed by Census Tract 45 and Census Tract 63.02, with respective values of $99,430 and $92,000.

The following map shows all of the places in Buffalo, NY colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$48,050

Median Household Income

± $1,562

120k

Number of Households

± 3,077

In 2023, the median household income of the 120k households in Buffalo, NY grew to $48,050 from the previous year's value of $46,184.

The following chart displays the households in Buffalo, 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Buffalo, NY is from New York.

0.494

2022 Wage GINI in New York

0.493

2021 Wage GINI in New York

In 2022, the income inequality in New York was 0.494 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.125% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (64.5%)
Carpooled (9.9%)
Worked At Home (9.57%)

In 2023, 64.5% of workers in Buffalo, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.9%) and those who worked at home (9.57%).

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

19.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Buffalo, NY have a shorter commute time (19.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.27% of the workforce in Buffalo, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Buffalo, NY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Buffalo, NY have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

27.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Buffalo, NY (73.7k out of 269k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Buffalo, NY is Black, followed by White 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

96.3% of the population of Buffalo, NY has health coverage, with 34.5% on employee plans, 39.6% on Medicaid, 9.37% on Medicare, 11.9% on non-group plans, and 0.881% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Erie County, NY see 1250 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.16% decrease from the previous year (1252 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1199 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 271 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Erie County, NY.

1,250 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Erie County, NY

Primary care physicians in Erie County, NY see an average of 1,250 patients per year. This represents a 0.16% decrease from the previous year (1,252 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.1% under 18 years, 27% between 18 and 34 years, 35.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.9% were men and 53.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.71%

Uninsured

34.5%

Employer Coverage

39.6%

Medicaid

9.37%

Medicare

11.9%

Non-Group

0.881%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Buffalo, NY declined by 7.65% from 4.02% to 3.71%.

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

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Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

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