How are homes heated in Buffalo, NY?

Name: Heating fuel in Buffalo, NY, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Utility gas is the most common heating fuel in Buffalo, used by 85.9% (±0.8 points) of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

9.9% heat with electricity.

0.9% heat with fuel oil or kerosene.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Utility gas: 85.9% (±0.8 points)
Electricity: 9.9%
Fuel oil, kerosene: 0.9%

Heating fuel in Buffalo

Occupied housing units by house heating fuel, 2020–2024
Fuel used most	Buffalo	Erie County	New York	United States
Utility gas	85.9% (±0.8 points)	86.8%	59.1%	46.5%
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.	0.9% (±0.3 points)	0.9%	16.1%	3.9%
Electricity	9.9% (±0.7 points)	8.7%	15.4%	41.3%
Bottled or tank gas (propane)	2.0% (±0.4 points)	2.0%	4.9%	4.9%
Wood	0.1% (±0.1 points)	0.5%	1.3%	1.4%
Solar energy	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.0%	0.1%	0.3%
Coal or coke	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.0%	0.2%	0.1%
Other fuel	0.7% (±0.2 points)	0.5%	1.3%	0.5%
No fuel used	0.4% (±0.1 points)	0.4%	1.6%	1.2%

The survey asks which fuel is used most to heat the home, so a home with a heat pump and an oil backup is counted once, under the one it uses most.

In Buffalo, the share of homes heating with fuel oil is not measurably different from Erie County (0.9%).

It is also lower than in New York (16.1%).

It is lower than the national figure (3.9%).

In Buffalo, the share of homes heating with electricity is higher than in Erie County (8.7%).

It is also lower than in New York (15.4%).

It is lower than the national figure (41.3%).

Homes heated by electricity in places near Buffalo

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Buffalo
Place	Distance	Homes heated by electricity	Compared with this place
Buffalo	—	9.9% (±0.7 points)	—
Village of Sloan	3.4 mi	5.8% (±4.7 points)	Not measurably different
Village of Kenmore	5.0 mi	7.1% (±2.2 points)	Lower
Lackawanna	5.3 mi	7.3% (±2.4 points)	Lower
Cheektowaga (community)	5.6 mi	7.6% (±1.3 points)	Lower
Eggertsville	5.8 mi	8.1% (±3.6 points)	Not measurably different
Town of Cheektowaga	6.1 mi	7.2% (±1.1 points)	Lower
Town of Tonawanda	6.3 mi	9.4% (±1.7 points)	Not measurably different
Tonawanda Town	6.5 mi	10.0% (±2.1 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Village of Kenmore, NY (7.1%), Lackawanna, NY (7.3%), Cheektowaga (community), NY (7.6%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes heated by fuel oil across Erie County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes heated by fuel oil
8 (tie)	Cattaraugus Reservation (Erie County)	3.5% (±4.2 points)
10	Town of Eden	2.1% (±1.9 points)
11	Town of Holland	1.7% (±2.0 points)
12 (tie)	Town of Clarence	1.1% (±0.7 points)
12 (tie)	Town of Evans	1.1% (±0.7 points)
14	Town of Orchard Park	1.0% (±0.6 points)
15 (tie)	Buffalo	0.9% (±0.3 points)
15 (tie)	Tonawanda	0.9% (±0.7 points)
15 (tie)	Town of Aurora	0.9% (±1.1 points)
18	Town of Tonawanda	0.8% (±0.4 points)
19 (tie)	Town of Amherst	0.7% (±0.2 points)
19 (tie)	Town of Lancaster	0.7% (±0.5 points)
21	Town of Grand Island	0.6% (±0.5 points)

Showing 13 of 29 places in Erie County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Buffalo

What is the most common way to heat a home in Buffalo?

Utility gas is the most common heating fuel in Buffalo, used by 85.9% of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many homes in Buffalo heat with oil?

0.9% (±0.3 points) of occupied homes in Buffalo use fuel oil or kerosene as their main heating fuel.

How many homes in Buffalo have electric heat?

9.9% (±0.7 points) of occupied homes in Buffalo heat mainly with electricity, which includes heat pumps.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Buffalo city, Erie County, New York

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Buffalo city, Erie County, New York (county subdivision:11000, in state:36 county:029).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0063PE, DP04_0063PM, DP04_0066PE, DP04_0066PM, DP04_0065PE, DP04_0065PM, DP04_0064PE, DP04_0064PM, DP04_0068PE, DP04_0068PM, DP04_0069PE, DP04_0069PM, DP04_0067PE, DP04_0067PM, DP04_0070PE, DP04_0070PM, DP04_0071PE, DP04_0071PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.