Erie County, NY

County

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2024 Population

950,622

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

40.4

0.248% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

13.9%

1.22% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$72,839

2.34% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$233,800

7.54% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

463,694

0.28% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Erie County, 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.

96.9% of the residents in Erie County, NY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Erie County, 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 Erie County, NY was $233,800, and the homeownership rate was 65.8%.

Most people in Erie County, NY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Erie County, NY was 2 cars per household.

Erie County, NY borders Cattaraugus County, NY, Chautauqua County, NY, Genesee County, NY, Niagara County, NY, and Wyoming County, NY.

About the photo: Entrance to Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

Photo by CaptMikey9

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

Population & Diversity

Erie County, NY is home to a population of 951k people, from which 96.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 7.35% of Erie County, NY residents were born outside of the country (69.9k people).

In 2024, there were 5.97 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (687k people) in Erie County, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 115k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 46.4k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.9%

2024 Citizenship

96.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.9% of Erie County, NY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Erie County, NY was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Erie County, NY

White (Non-Hispanic)
687k ± 1.37k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
115k ± 1.88k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
46.4k ± 739

6.41%

Hispanic Population

60.9k people

6.41% of the people in Erie County, NY are hispanic (60.9k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Erie County, NY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County 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

7.35%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

69.9k people

7.1%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

67.4k people

As of 2024, 7.35% of Erie County, NY residents (69.9k 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 Erie County, NY was 7.1%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
14,545 ± 789
Gulf War (2001-)
8,307 ± 783
Gulf War (1990s)
5,935 ± 684

Erie County, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.75 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Erie County, NY employs 464k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Erie County, NY were Health Care & Social Assistance (78,884 people), Educational Services (54,602 people), and Retail Trade (49,829 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($102,357), Utilities ($95,543), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($83,232).

Employment

Occupations

464k

2024 Value

± 5,796

−0.28%

1 Year decline

± 1.74%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Erie County, NY declined at a rate of −0.28%, from 465k employees to 464k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Erie County, NY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (55,193 people), Management Occupations (50,252 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (43,403 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Erie County, 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

464k

2024 Value

± 5,796

−0.28%

1 Year decline

± 1.74%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Erie County, NY declined at a rate of −0.28%, from 465k employees to 464k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Erie County, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (78,884 people), Educational Services (54,602 people), and Retail Trade (49,829 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Erie County, NY, though some of these residents may live in Erie County, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$57,753

Median earning men ± $1,073

$44,263

Median earning women ± $812

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($82,940), Public Administration ($79,995), and Wholesale Trade ($73,786).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($65,236), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,016), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($50,018).

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

1,476
Other Services (except Public Administration)
1,417
Construction
1,366
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

$4.51M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$3.23M
Manufacturing
$2.75M
Finance and Insurance

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Erie County, NY awarded 19,540 degrees. The student population of Erie County, NY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 27,747 male students and 40,504 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Erie County, NY are White (10,143 and 61.1%), Black or African American (2,450 and 14.8%), Asian (1,547 and 9.32%), and Hispanic or Latino (1,146 and 6.9%).

The largest universities in Erie County, NY by number of degrees awarded are University at Buffalo (10,056 and 51.5%), Bryant & Stratton College-Online (1,923 and 9.84%), and SUNY Buffalo State University (1,835 and 9.39%).

The most popular majors in Erie County, NY are General Business Administration & Management (1,334 and 6.83%), Registered Nursing (828 and 4.24%), and General Computer & Information Sciences (673 and 3.44%).

The median tuition costs in Erie County, NY are $28,415 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 Erie County, NY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 73.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 68,251 (40.7% men and 59.3% 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 68,251 students enrolled in Erie County, NY, 40.7% men and 59.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 31,894 records, of which 60.8% were women and 39.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
979 degrees awarded
General Psychology
659 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
458 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Erie County, NY was General Business Administration & Management with 979 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Erie County, 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, 7,906 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Erie County, NY, which is 0.68 times less than the 11,634 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 10,143 degrees mean that there were 4.14 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 2,450 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 ($28,415) 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 ($1,600) 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 Erie County, NY was $233,800 in 2024, which is 0.703 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $217,400 to $233,800, a 7.54% increase. The homeownership rate in Erie County, NY is 65.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Erie County, NY have an average commute time of 21.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Erie County, NY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Erie County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.01%.

Housing

Property

$233,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$1,649

$269,652

Median Property Taxes

±$3,601

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 Erie County, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

65.8%

Homeownership

2024

61.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 65.8% of the housing units in Erie County, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Erie County, 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.

$72,839

Median Household Income

± $1,077

410k

Number of Households

± 5,355

In 2024, the median household income of the 410k households in Erie County, NY grew to $72,839 from the previous year's value of $71,175.

The following chart displays the households in Erie County, 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 Erie County, 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 (72.4%)
Worked At Home (12.9%)
Carpooled (7.78%)

In 2024, 72.4% of workers in Erie County, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.9%) and those who carpooled to work (7.78%).

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

21.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Erie County, NY have a shorter commute time (21.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.39% of the workforce in Erie County, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Erie County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.01%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

13.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Erie County, NY (128k out of 927k 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 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Erie County, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 17.9% of the children was living in poverty in Erie County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 428 in Erie County, NY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 68.7 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

97.1% of the population of Erie County, NY has health coverage, with 48.6% on employee plans, 21.6% on Medicaid, 14.2% on Medicare, 11.9% on non-group plans, and 0.808% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Erie County, NY see 1,366 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,366 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1211 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 241 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.7% were men and 51.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,366 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Erie County, NY

Primary care physicians in Erie County, NY see an average of 1,366 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,366 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 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.7% under 18 years, 21.4% between 18 and 34 years, 38% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.7% were men and 51.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

2.92%

Uninsured

48.6%

Employer Coverage

21.6%

Medicaid

14.2%

Medicare

11.9%

Non-Group

0.808%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Erie County, NY grew by 5.83% from 2.76% to 2.92%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 47.9 in Erie County, NY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Erie County, NY.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 32.7% in Erie County, NY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Erie County, NY.