CensusEasy
METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Buffalo Metro

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY · 2 counties · 1,189,288 residents · 1,565.111 sq mi
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The short version

Buffalo has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $28,080. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value is $71,484.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 34.7
US median: 33.0
Average education
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,189,288
+2%vs 2000
vs 1,170,111 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
760 / sq mi
+2%vs 2000
vs 748 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
34.7
−9%vs 2000
vs 38.0 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.1M1.1M1.2M1.2M1.2M1990201020202024Buffalo
20241.2M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.9%(82,337)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.7%(80,101)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.2%(74,199)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 196.6%(78,823)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.5%(89,079)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3416.5%(196,249)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.4%(170,757)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410%(119,298)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.9%(117,549)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 749.1%(108,137)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.7%(56,220)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.4%(16,539)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$28,080
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $38,486 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$13,402
−33%vs 2000
vs $20,143 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
12.0%
+0.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 11.9% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$71,484
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $86,828 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$380
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $509 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
64.5%
−1.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 66.2% in 2000
35.5% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Buffalo on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic82.5%(965,233)
Black11.5%(134,645)
Hispanic / Latino2.9%(33,967)
Asian1.3%(15,007)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic87.2%(1,036,941)
Black10.2%(121,751)
Hispanic / Latino2%(23,521)
Asian0.9%(10,909)
Other1.7%(19,687)

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 Rican3.4%(39,226)
Mexican0.8%(9,191)
Dominican0.4%(5,166)
South American0.4%(4,333)
Central American0.3%(3,245)
Cuban0.2%(2,035)
Spaniard0.1%(1,480)
Colombian0.1%(1,467)
Ecuadorian0.1%(1,192)
Salvadoran0.1%(1,176)
Peruvian0.1%(813)
Guatemalan0.1%(751)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0%(412)
Honduran0%(334)
Argentine0%(293)
Venezuelan0%(255)
Paraguayan0%(118)
Chilean0%(93)
Bolivian0%(45)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.1%(12,675)
Bangladeshi0.8%(9,846)
Chinese0.6%(7,345)
Burmese0.4%(4,451)
Vietnamese0.2%(2,219)
Korean0.2%(2,168)
Pakistani0.2%(1,810)
Filipino0.1%(1,232)
Nepalese0.1%(1,080)
Kazakh0.1%(816)
Sri Lankan0.1%(606)
Japanese0%(532)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Bhutanese0.1%(510)
Taiwanese0%(336)
Laotian0%(232)
Thai0%(226)
Malaysian0%(96)
Mongolian0%(44)
Uzbek0%(38)
Cambodian0%(13)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(108)
Chamorro0%(36)
Fijian0%(4)
Ancestry
German21.2%(246,095)
Irish15.5%(180,324)
Italian14.7%(170,749)
Polish13.7%(158,750)
English8%(93,409)
American3.1%(35,872)
French1.8%(20,948)
Scottish1.5%(17,801)
Arab1.4%(15,715)
Subsaharan African1.1%(12,286)
Dutch0.8%(8,893)
Hungarian0.7%(7,856)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.6%(7,392)
Ukrainian0.6%(7,334)
Swedish0.6%(7,159)
French Canadian0.6%(7,134)
West Indian0.5%(6,240)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(4,995)
Lebanese0.4%(4,958)
Welsh0.4%(4,682)
Greek0.4%(4,172)
Norwegian0.4%(4,095)
Jamaican0.3%(3,680)
Canadian0.3%(3,433)
British0.2%(2,694)
Croatian0.2%(2,523)
Austrian0.2%(2,289)
Lithuanian0.2%(2,095)
Czech0.2%(1,798)
Slovak0.1%(1,573)
Danish0.1%(1,529)
Swiss0.1%(1,417)
Turkish0.1%(1,278)
Syrian0.1%(1,176)
Nigerian0.1%(1,126)
Romanian0.1%(1,112)
Iraqi0.1%(969)
Palestinian0.1%(923)
Serbian0.1%(907)
Portuguese0.1%(831)
Egyptian0.1%(753)
Somali0.1%(740)
Armenian0.1%(699)
Belgian0.1%(653)
Ethiopian0.1%(624)
Macedonian0.1%(613)
Finnish0.1%(610)
Moroccan0.1%(588)
Brazilian0.1%(580)
Latvian0%(552)
Iranian0%(523)
Haitian0%(514)
Bulgarian0%(402)
Ghanaian0%(397)
Guyanese0%(372)
Jordanian0%(248)
Israeli0%(218)
Slovene0%(199)
Kenyan0%(155)
Barbadian0%(78)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest Polish population · Largest English population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.8%
−4.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 23.2% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
76.3%
−6.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 83.0% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
7.5%
−2.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 9.5% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.3 min
+41%vs 2000
vs 13.0 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married39.8%(186,257)
Married47.6%(222,965)
Widowed3.1%(14,547)
Divorced9.5%(44,419)
Women 15+
Never married34.8%(174,368)
Married44%(220,404)
Widowed9.2%(46,288)
Divorced12%(59,961)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
In this metro

Largest cities

BuffaloCENTRAL274,613CheektowagaCENTRAL76,056Tonawanda56,806Niagara Falls47,255West Seneca45,303North Tonawanda29,806Lockport20,248Lackawanna19,452Eggertsville14,894Tonawanda14,848Kenmore14,808Depew14,801Lancaster9,995Hamburg9,840South Lockport9,144University at Buffalo7,020Harris Hill6,069East Aurora5,949Williamsville5,478Grandyle4,912Springville4,194Newfane3,938Sloan3,699Highland-on-the-Lake3,584Lake Erie Beach3,279Eden3,113Orchard Park3,079Akron2,867Elma Center2,814Alden2,755

The 30 most populous of 53 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

2 component counties

Erie CountyCENTRAL946,741Niagara CountyCENTRAL208,912
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Buffalo

Birmingham
Pop 1,197,766
Fresno
Pop 1,203,383
Tucson
Pop 1,074,685
Tulsa
Pop 1,069,273
Places similar to Buffalo
Head to head

Compare Buffalo side by side

BUFFALO VS
Birmingham
Income$72,464+158%
Home value$241,872+238%
Population1,197,766+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUFFALO VS
Fresno
Income$74,533+165%
Home value$389,401+445%
Population1,203,383+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUFFALO VS
Tucson
Income$70,315+150%
Home value$319,700+347%
Population1,074,685−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUFFALO VS
Tulsa
Income$69,648+148%
Home value$220,806+209%
Population1,069,273−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY has about 1,189,288 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

The typical household in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY earns about $28,080 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY expensive?

In Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, the median home is worth about $71,484, and the typical rent is about $380 a month.

How educated are people in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

About 18.8% of adults age 25 and over in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

About 12.0% of people in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →