Erie County, NY

County

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2023 Population

950,044

0.125% 1-year decline

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

40.3

0.499% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

14%

1.97% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$71,175

4.65% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$217,400

10.1% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

464,994

0.222% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Erie County, NY had a population of 950k people with a median age of 40.3 and a median household income of $71,175. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Erie County, NY declined from 951,232 to 950,044, a −0.125% decrease and its median household income grew from $68,014 to $71,175, a 4.65% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Erie County, NY are White (Non-Hispanic) (73%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (12.3%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (4.51%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.17%), and Other (Hispanic) (2.18%).

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 2023, the median property value in Erie County, NY was $217,400, and the homeownership rate was 65.5%.

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 950k people, from which 96.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 7.1% of Erie County, NY residents were born outside of the country (67.4k people).

In 2023, there were 5.94 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (694k people) in Erie County, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 117k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 42.9k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.9%

2023 Citizenship

96.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.9% of Erie County, NY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Erie County, NY was 96.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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)
694k ± 1.48k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
117k ± 1.68k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
42.9k ± 778

6.3%

Hispanic Population

59.9k people

6.3% of the people in Erie County, NY are hispanic (59.9k people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
505,872 ± 17,239 people
China
415,960 ± 15,668 people
Jamaica
230,433 ± 11,717 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 505,872 New York residents, followed by China with 415,960 and Jamaica with 230,433.

Foreign-Born Population

7.1%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

67.4k people

7.24%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

68.9k people

As of 2023, 7.1% of Erie County, NY residents (67.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Erie County, NY was 7.24%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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
15,457 ± 779
Gulf War (2001-)
8,593 ± 823
Gulf War (1990s)
6,086 ± 715

Erie County, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.8 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Erie County, NY employs 465k people. The largest industries in Erie County, NY are Health Care & Social Assistance (79,516 people), Educational Services (54,647 people), and Retail Trade (50,717 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($85,925), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($83,587), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($82,418).

Males in New York have an average income that is 1.27 times higher than the average income of females, which is $77,694. The income inequality in New York (measured using the Gini index) is 0.494, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

465k

2023 Value

± 5,598

−0.222%

1 Year decline

± 1.71%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Erie County, NY declined at a rate of −0.222%, from 466k employees to 465k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Erie County, NY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (56,139 people), Management Occupations (50,000 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (44,626 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 false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

465k

2023 Value

± 5,598

−0.222%

1 Year decline

± 1.71%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Erie County, NY declined at a rate of −0.222%, from 466k employees to 465k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Erie County, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (79,516 people), Educational Services (54,647 people), and Retail Trade (50,717 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

$55,879

Median earning men ± $930

$42,189

Median earning women ± $568

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($80,876), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($74,656), and Wholesale Trade ($70,232).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($63,799), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,335), and Manufacturing ($47,574).

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.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or 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%), followed by 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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

Measure

In 2022, 1.7% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.75% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (4.04M), Bachelors Degree (3.33M), and Some college (2.79M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Erie County, NY was $217,400 in 2023, which is 0.717 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $197,400 to $217,400, a 10.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Erie County, NY is 65.5%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

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.

Median household income in Erie County, NY is $71,175. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Erie County, NY was Census Tract 135.02 with a value of $173,144, followed by Census Tract 90.07 and Census Tract 142.06, with respective values of $167,368 and $144,303.

In 2023, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Erie County, NY. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.671%.

Housing

Property

$217,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$1,961

$267,519

Median Property Taxes

±$3,594

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

65.5%

Homeownership

2023

61.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 65.5% of the housing units in Erie County, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Erie County, NY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 135.02
Census Tract 90.07
Census Tract 142.06

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Erie County, NY was Census Tract 135.02 with a value of $173,144, followed by Census Tract 90.07 and Census Tract 142.06, with respective values of $167,368 and $144,303.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Erie County, NY colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$71,175

Median Household Income

± $843

409k

Number of Households

± 5,231

In 2023, the median household income of the 409k households in Erie County, NY grew to $71,175 from the previous year's value of $68,014.

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.

0.494

2022 Wage GINI in New York

0.493

2021 Wage GINI in New York

In 2022, the income inequality in New York was 0.494 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.125% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (74.1%)
Worked At Home (11.4%)
Carpooled (7.54%)

In 2023, 74.1% of workers in Erie County, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.4%) and those who carpooled to work (7.54%).

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 (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.35% 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 2023, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Erie County, NY. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.671%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Erie County, NY (130k out of 927k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

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 2023, 19.2% of the children was living in poverty in Erie County, NY. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.1%.

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.

Health

97.2% of the population of Erie County, NY has health coverage, with 49.2% on employee plans, 21.1% on Medicaid, 13.9% on Medicare, 12.2% on non-group plans, and 0.92% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Erie County, NY see 1250 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.16% decrease from the previous year (1252 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1199 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 271 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,250 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Erie County, NY

Primary care physicians in Erie County, NY see an average of 1,250 patients per year. This represents a 0.16% decrease from the previous year (1,252 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 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.8% under 18 years, 21.6% between 18 and 34 years, 38.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

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

Uninsured People

2.76%

Uninsured

49.2%

Employer Coverage

21.1%

Medicaid

13.9%

Medicare

12.2%

Non-Group

0.92%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Erie County, NY declined by 4.23% from 2.88% to 2.76%.

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 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 46.5 in Erie County, NY.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 29.2% in Erie County, NY.

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