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COUNTY

Erie County

New York · 946,741 residents (2025 est.) · 1,043 sq mi
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Part of the Buffalo metro area
The short version

Erie County is home to 950,622 people in New York. That puts it in the top 8% of US counties for household income. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $233,800. The foreign-born share is 7%. That trails the New York median by roughly 15%. The average commute runs 21 minutes.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.4
US median: 38.9
Average education
38% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 46%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
950,622
Unchangedsince 2000
from 950,265 in 2000
946,741 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
912 / sq mi
+4%since 2009
from 877 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.4
+6%since 2000
from 38.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,043 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
909K925K941K958K974K19902000201020202024Erie County
2024951K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.2%(49,525)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.9%(56,082)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.5%(52,250)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.1%(58,334)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(60,397)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.8%(130,996)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.6%(119,361)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.4%(108,472)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.9%(131,855)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.4%(108,049)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.5%(52,749)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.4%(22,552)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$72,839
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,567 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$42,777
+110%since 2000
from $20,357 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
48.6%
+19.6 ptssince 2009
from 28.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2000
from 12.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.464
+1%since 2010
from 0.458 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade10.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services8.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration7.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade4.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$233,800
+46%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $88,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,090
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $516 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
65.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 65.3% in 2000
34.2% rent
Vacancy rate
7.2%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.26 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.33 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.8%
−6.8 ptssince 2009
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.2
+33%since 2009
from 2.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
72
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic80.8%(767,476)
Black12.8%(121,289)
Hispanic / Latino3.3%(31,054)
Asian1.4%(13,759)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic72.3%(687,194)
Black12.1%(115,154)
Hispanic / Latino6.4%(60,918)
Asian4.9%(46,439)
Other4.3%(40,917)
Diversity Score
57
+31%since 2009
from 43 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
53
−7%since 2020
from 57 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican3.7%(35,635)
Mexican0.8%(7,619)
Dominican0.4%(4,258)
South American0.4%(4,002)
Central American0.3%(2,924)
Cuban0.2%(1,441)
Colombian0.1%(1,329)
Spaniard0.1%(1,226)
Salvadoran0.1%(1,152)
Ecuadorian0.1%(1,148)
Peruvian0.1%(752)
Guatemalan0.1%(666)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0%(334)
Venezuelan0%(235)
Argentine0%(232)
Panamanian0%(218)
Paraguayan0%(118)
Chilean0%(93)
Bolivian0%(45)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.3%(12,035)
Bangladeshi1%(9,591)
Chinese0.7%(6,837)
Burmese0.5%(4,418)
Vietnamese0.2%(2,147)
Korean0.2%(1,940)
Pakistani0.2%(1,479)
Filipino0.1%(1,092)
Nepalese0.1%(1,080)
Kazakh0.1%(816)
Sri Lankan0.1%(606)
Bhutanese0.1%(510)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Japanese0.1%(504)
Taiwanese0%(277)
Laotian0%(232)
Thai0%(203)
Malaysian0%(96)
Mongolian0%(44)
Uzbek0%(38)
Cambodian0%(13)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(52)
Chamorro0%(36)
Ancestry
German21%(199,714)
Irish15.7%(149,073)
Polish14.5%(137,390)
Italian14.2%(135,353)
English7.3%(69,724)
American3%(28,436)
French1.7%(16,216)
Scottish1.4%(13,459)
Arab1.4%(13,455)
Subsaharan African1.2%(11,202)
Dutch0.8%(7,358)
Hungarian0.7%(6,319)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.7%(6,217)
Ukrainian0.6%(6,034)
Swedish0.6%(5,824)
West Indian0.5%(5,220)
French Canadian0.5%(4,611)
Lebanese0.4%(3,732)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(3,703)
Welsh0.4%(3,634)
Greek0.4%(3,433)
Norwegian0.4%(3,372)
Jamaican0.3%(2,802)
Canadian0.3%(2,381)
Croatian0.2%(2,321)
British0.2%(1,968)
Austrian0.2%(1,955)
Lithuanian0.2%(1,521)
Czech0.2%(1,468)
Danish0.1%(1,329)
Turkish0.1%(1,172)
Swiss0.1%(1,148)
Slovak0.1%(1,066)
Syrian0.1%(1,043)
Nigerian0.1%(990)
Romanian0.1%(963)
Iraqi0.1%(865)
Serbian0.1%(839)
Somali0.1%(740)
Portuguese0.1%(677)
Egyptian0.1%(626)
Ethiopian0.1%(614)
Macedonian0.1%(613)
Belgian0.1%(581)
Brazilian0.1%(580)
Finnish0.1%(563)
Moroccan0.1%(542)
Armenian0.1%(510)
Haitian0.1%(495)
Latvian0.1%(492)
Iranian0%(374)
Bulgarian0%(371)
Ghanaian0%(370)
Guyanese0%(332)
Slovene0%(199)
Israeli0%(198)
Jordanian0%(193)
Kenyan0%(155)
Barbadian0%(78)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
38.0%
+13.5 ptssince 2000
from 24.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.5%
+9.6 ptssince 2000
from 82.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
17.1%
+7.0 ptssince 2000
from 10.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.3 min
+64%since 2000
from 13.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.4%
−8.2 ptssince 2009
from 80.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 8.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.8%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.9%
+10.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
11.5%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.9%
−3.1 ptssince 2011
from 8.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.4%
−0.9 ptssince 2011
from 63.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 75.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.9%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 15.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
44.8%
+8.4 ptssince 2009
from 36.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Female
51.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Foreign born
7.5%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.7%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2012
from 12.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.9%
−3.9 ptssince 2013
from 6.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.2%
+14.2 ptssince 2017
from 76.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.1%
+4.4 ptssince 2020
from 89.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 87.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
88.7%
−1.2 ptssince 2016
from 89.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2016
from 3.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.5%(154,651)
Married47.1%(179,795)
Widowed3%(11,513)
Divorced9.4%(36,046)
Women 15+
Never married35.8%(147,048)
Married43.2%(177,489)
Widowed9%(37,107)
Divorced12%(49,116)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
2.9%
−3.9 ptssince 2013
from 6.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
58.3%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 60.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 13.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.0%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 19.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.0%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 23.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
69.0%
−2.6 ptssince 2020
from 71.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
43.3%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 40.4% 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)19.1%(8,307)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.1%(8,282)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.7%(15,089)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.4%(2,353)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(560)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 43,450 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
Drill deeper

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Pop 948,563
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Head to head

Compare Erie County to nearby counties

ERIE COUNTY VS
Wyoming County
Income$69,110−5%
Home value$162,300−31%
Population39,741−96%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ERIE COUNTY VS
Genesee County
Income$73,314+1%
Home value$170,500−27%
Population58,416−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ERIE COUNTY VS
Niagara County
Income$69,633−4%
Home value$189,800−19%
Population208,912−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ERIE COUNTY VS
Cattaraugus County
Income$59,540−18%
Home value$113,100−52%
Population75,390−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Erie County, New York?

Erie County, New York has about 950,622 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Erie County, New York?

The typical household in Erie County, New York earns about $72,839 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Erie County, New York expensive?

In Erie County, New York, the median home is worth about $233,800, and the typical rent is about $1,090 a month.

How educated are people in Erie County, New York?

About 38.0% of adults age 25 and over in Erie County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Erie County, New York?

About 13.9% of people in Erie County, New York live below the federal poverty line.

Has Erie County, New York grown since 1990?

Yes, Erie County, New York has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 17,910 residents, a change of about -2 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 →