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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Buffalo

New York · 292,648 residents · 40.4 sq mi
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The short version

With 292,648 people, Buffalo is a city in New York. 43% of homes are owner-occupied. That trails the New York median by roughly 43%. 26.6% of people here live below the federal poverty line. The typical home is worth $58,800. The median household earns $24,536, about 42% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 33.6
US median: 35.2
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
292,648
−11%since 1990
from 328,123 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
33.6
+5%since 1990
from 32.1 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
40.4 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
249K271K292K314K335K19902000201020202024Buffalo
2024277K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 57.1%(20,768)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.8%(22,773)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.3%(21,466)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197.2%(20,948)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 248.2%(24,031)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.4%(42,150)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4414.9%(43,741)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5412%(35,097)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647.6%(22,347)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.8%(19,803)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 845%(14,516)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.7%(5,008)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$24,536
+1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $18,482 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$14,991
+44%since 1990
from $10,445 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
26.6%
+1.0 ptssince 1990
from 25.6% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$58,800
−4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $46,600 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$472
+2%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $352 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
43.5%
+0.3 ptssince 1990
from 43.2% in 1990
56.5% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic64.7%(212,208)
Black30.7%(100,767)
Hispanic / Latino4.7%(15,287)
Asian0.9%(3,112)
2000
White, non-Hispanic51.8%(151,450)
Black36.6%(107,066)
Hispanic / Latino7.5%(22,076)
Asian1.4%(4,045)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican8.8%(24,362)
Mexican1%(2,706)
Dominican0.8%(2,320)
South American0.5%(1,348)
Central American0.4%(1,089)
Cuban0.2%(630)
Ecuadorian0.2%(585)
Salvadoran0.2%(580)
Colombian0.1%(366)
Spaniard0.1%(308)
Guatemalan0.1%(287)
Peruvian0%(119)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0%(116)
Honduran0%(108)
Argentine0%(101)
Chilean0%(61)
Asian origin
Bangladeshi2.5%(6,960)
Asian Indian2.2%(6,021)
Burmese1.5%(4,195)
Chinese0.6%(1,571)
Nepalese0.3%(908)
Vietnamese0.3%(734)
Kazakh0.2%(666)
Korean0.2%(461)
Filipino0.1%(367)
Pakistani0.1%(342)
Thai0.1%(158)
Laotian0.1%(148)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(5)
Ancestry
Irish10.6%(29,344)
German10.1%(28,068)
Italian9.7%(26,722)
Polish7.7%(21,455)
English4.1%(11,487)
American1.8%(4,968)
French1.1%(3,102)
Arab0.9%(2,630)
West Indian0.9%(2,397)
Scottish0.7%(2,038)
Dutch0.6%(1,754)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.5%(1,280)
Norwegian0.5%(1,251)
Jamaican0.4%(1,135)
Swedish0.4%(1,121)
Ukrainian0.4%(1,085)
Greek0.3%(959)
Welsh0.3%(951)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(879)
Hungarian0.3%(852)
Somali0.3%(696)
Nigerian0.2%(676)
British0.2%(572)
Ethiopian0.2%(533)
Lebanese0.2%(512)
Austrian0.1%(359)
Canadian0.1%(330)
Haitian0.1%(291)
Czech0.1%(285)
Romanian0.1%(285)
Slovak0.1%(280)
Portuguese0.1%(277)
Iraqi0.1%(265)
Ghanaian0.1%(251)
Lithuanian0.1%(243)
Finnish0.1%(240)
Serbian0.1%(240)
Swiss0.1%(238)
Palestinian0.1%(236)
Croatian0.1%(204)
Danish0.1%(177)
Brazilian0.1%(156)
Syrian0%(122)
Guyanese0%(101)
Turkish0%(87)
Bulgarian0%(85)
Egyptian0%(84)
Armenian0%(77)
Israeli0%(63)
Moroccan0%(62)
Latvian0%(56)
Slovene0%(38)
Belgian0%(33)
Kenyan0%(26)
Jordanian0%(20)
Barbadian0%(15)
Iranian0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.3%
+2.2 ptssince 1990
from 16.0% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
74.6%
+7.4 ptssince 1990
from 67.3% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
7.8%
+1.2 ptssince 1990
from 6.6% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
12.9 min
−26%since 1990
from 17.6 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.2%(44,952)
Married43%(44,736)
Widowed3.9%(4,023)
Divorced9.9%(10,331)
Women 15+
Never married37.3%(46,022)
Married38.5%(47,505)
Widowed13.4%(16,568)
Divorced10.8%(13,382)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
4.1%
−6.3 ptssince 2013
from 10.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
42.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 43.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.4%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 9.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 16.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
44.5%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 43.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
50.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 51.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
56.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 54.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)20.2%(2,157)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24%(2,558)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era27.6%(2,947)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.8%(401)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(76)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 10,673 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Explore

Neighborhoods in Buffalo

Drill deeper

Places similar to Buffalo

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Pop 263,423
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Pop 222,795
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Cincinnati
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Head to head

Compare Buffalo to nearby cities

BUFFALO VS
Kenmore
Income$77,639+216%
Home value$208,600+255%
Population14,808−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUFFALO VS
Lackawanna
Income$52,110+112%
Home value$140,700+139%
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BUFFALO VS
Cheektowaga
Income$68,613+180%
Home value$185,500+215%
Population76,056−72%
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BUFFALO VS
Eggertsville
Income$82,767+237%
Home value$248,100+322%
Population14,894−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Buffalo, New York?

Buffalo, New York has about 292,648 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Buffalo, New York?

The typical household in Buffalo, New York earns about $24,536 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Buffalo, New York expensive?

In Buffalo, New York, the median home is worth about $58,800, and the typical rent is about $472 a month.

How educated are people in Buffalo, New York?

About 18.3% of adults age 25 and over in Buffalo, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Buffalo, New York?

About 26.6% of people in Buffalo, New York live below the federal poverty line.

Has Buffalo, New York grown since 1990?

Yes, Buffalo, New York has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 35,475 residents, a change of about -11 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →