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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Buffalo Metro

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY · 2 counties · 1,170,111 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 $38,486. Population has held roughly steady since 1990. Median home value is $86,828.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 38.0
US median: 35.2
Average education
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 8%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,170,111
−2%since 1990
from 1,189,288 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
748 / sq mi
−2%since 1990
from 760 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
38.0
+10%since 1990
from 34.7 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.1M1.1M1.2M1.2M1.2M1990201020202024Buffalo
20241.2M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.1%(71,002)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.9%(81,223)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.2%(84,044)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.8%(79,978)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 246%(69,788)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.4%(145,390)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416%(186,706)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.7%(160,817)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 649.1%(106,021)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 748%(93,443)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 845.9%(69,168)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.9%(22,531)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$38,486
+4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $28,080 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$20,143
+50%since 1990
from $13,402 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
11.9%
−0.1 ptssince 1990
from 12.0% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$86,828
−8%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $71,484 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$509
+2%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $380 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
66.2%
+1.6 ptssince 1990
from 64.5% in 1990
33.8% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Buffalo on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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
23.2%
+4.4 ptssince 1990
from 18.8% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
83.0%
+6.7 ptssince 1990
from 76.3% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
9.5%
+2.0 ptssince 1990
from 7.5% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
13.0 min
−29%since 1990
from 18.3 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 married31.4%(137,703)
Married57.4%(251,825)
Widowed3.4%(14,790)
Divorced7.9%(34,484)
Women 15+
Never married25.7%(127,443)
Married51.5%(255,193)
Widowed13.2%(65,459)
Divorced9.5%(46,949)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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+88%
Home value$241,872+179%
Population1,197,766+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUFFALO VS
Fresno
Income$74,533+94%
Home value$389,401+348%
Population1,203,383+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUFFALO VS
Tucson
Income$70,315+83%
Home value$319,700+268%
Population1,074,685−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUFFALO VS
Tulsa
Income$69,648+81%
Home value$220,806+154%
Population1,069,273−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY has about 1,170,111 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY earns about $38,486 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 $86,828, and the typical rent is about $509 a month.

How educated are people in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

About 23.2% 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 11.9% of people in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY live below the federal poverty line.

Has Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY grown since 1990?

Yes, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 19,177 residents, a change of about -2 percent over that period.

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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 →