Dunkirk, NY

Census Place

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2024 Population

12,549

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

43.7

1.39% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

24.3%

2.31% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$53,299

8.77% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$94,700

3.84% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

5,309

2.71% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Dunkirk, 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.

98.7% of the residents in Dunkirk, NY are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Dunkirk, NY was $94,700, and the homeownership rate was 58.5%.

Most people in Dunkirk, NY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19 minutes. The average car ownership in Dunkirk, NY was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: CSX Tracks in Dunkirk, NY

Photo by Kim Carpenter

United States New York Chautauqua County, NY Jamestown-Dunkirk-Fredonia, NY Chautauqua County PUMA, NY

Population & Diversity

Dunkirk, NY is home to a population of 12.5k people, from which 98.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.02% of Dunkirk, NY residents were born outside of the country (504 people).

In 2024, there were 3.48 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7k people) in Dunkirk, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.01k Other (Hispanic) and 1.28k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.7%

2024 Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.7% of Dunkirk, NY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Dunkirk, NY was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Dunkirk, NY

White (Non-Hispanic)
7k ± 431
Other (Hispanic)
2.01k ± 508
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
1.28k ± 505

36.5%

Hispanic Population

4.58k people

36.5% of the people in Dunkirk, NY are hispanic (4.58k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Dunkirk, 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
492,198 ± 17,010 people
China
414,597 ± 15,642 people
Jamaica
229,554 ± 11,695 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 492,198 New York residents, followed by China with 414,597 and Jamaica with 229,554.

Foreign-Born Population

4.02%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

504 people

3.92%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

494 people

As of 2024, 4.02% of Dunkirk, NY residents (504 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 Dunkirk, NY was 3.92%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
387 ± 188
Gulf War (1990s)
96 ± 75
Gulf War (2001-)
86 ± 108

Dunkirk, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.03 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Dunkirk, NY.

Health

98% of the population of Dunkirk, NY has health coverage, with 32.8% on employee plans, 37.9% on Medicaid, 12.9% on Medicare, 13.2% on non-group plans, and 1.29% 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, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.7% under 18 years, 21% between 18 and 34 years, 39.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 19% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

1.96%

Uninsured

32.8%

Employer Coverage

37.9%

Medicaid

12.9%

Medicare

13.2%

Non-Group

1.29%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Dunkirk, NY declined by 38.8% from 3.2% to 1.96%.

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

Economy

The economy of Dunkirk, NY employs 5.31k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Dunkirk, NY were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,082 people), Manufacturing (888 people), and Educational Services (789 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($74,926), Utilities ($70,536), and Wholesale Trade ($70,156).

Employment

Occupations

5.31k

2024 Value

± 563

−2.71%

1 Year decline

± 15.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Dunkirk, NY declined at a rate of −2.71%, from 5.46k employees to 5.31k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Dunkirk, NY, are Production Occupations (598 people), Management Occupations (510 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (419 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Dunkirk, 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

5.31k

2024 Value

± 563

−2.71%

1 Year decline

± 15.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Dunkirk, NY declined at a rate of −2.71%, from 5.46k employees to 5.31k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Dunkirk, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,082 people), Manufacturing (888 people), and Educational Services (789 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Dunkirk, NY, though some of these residents may live in Dunkirk, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,543

Median earning men ± $6,822

$40,679

Median earning women ± $10,010

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($108,347), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,678), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,042).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($50,417), Manufacturing ($46,453), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($44,761).

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.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New York went to Kamala Harris with 55.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.3%), followed by Jill Stein (0.565%).

Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are the senators currently representing the state of New York. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

New York is currently represented by 26 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Dunkirk, NY. Showing the available data for New York.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (55.9%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.3%)
Republican Party
Jill Stein (0.565%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in New York went to Kamala Harris with 55.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.3%), followed by Jill Stein (0.565%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in New York for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from New York

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

Chuck Schumer

Senator from New York

Assumed office on January 3, 1999

Kirsten Gillibrand

Senator from New York

Assumed office on January 26, 2009
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Hillary Clinton, who had become Secretary of State.

Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are the senators currently representing New York.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in New York over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Dunkirk, NY was $94,700 in 2024, which is 0.285 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $91,200 to $94,700, a 3.84% increase. The homeownership rate in Dunkirk, NY is 58.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Dunkirk, NY have an average commute time of 19 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Dunkirk, NY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$94,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,129

$3,236

Median Property Taxes

±$386

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 Dunkirk, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

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

Rent vs Own

58.5%

Homeownership

2024

58.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 58.5% of the housing units in Dunkirk, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Dunkirk, 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.

$53,299

Median Household Income

± $5,955

5.53k

Number of Households

± 526

In 2024, the median household income of the 5.53k households in Dunkirk, NY grew to $53,299 from the previous year's value of $49,003.

The following chart displays the households in Dunkirk, 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 Dunkirk, NY is from New York.

0.492

2024 Wage GINI in New York

0.493

2023 Wage GINI in New York

In 2024, the income inequality in New York was 0.492 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.301% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (79.5%)
Carpooled (11.1%)
Worked At Home (4.45%)

In 2024, 79.5% of workers in Dunkirk, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.1%) and those who worked at home (4.45%).

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 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Dunkirk, NY have a shorter commute time (19 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.77% of the workforce in Dunkirk, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

24.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Dunkirk, NY (3.02k out of 12.4k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Dunkirk, NY is Hispanic, followed by White and Two Or More.

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.