What kinds of homes are in Buffalo, NY?

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

Buffalo, NY has 136,850 (±1,365) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 3,389 homes per square mile of land.

36.2% are detached single-family houses.

43.3% are in buildings of two to four units.

16.9% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 136,850 (±1,365)
Detached houses: 36.2%
2–4 unit buildings: 43.3%
5+ unit buildings: 16.9%

Homes in Buffalo by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Buffalo	Erie County	New York	United States
Single-family, detached	36.2% (±1.0 points)	58.9%	41.2%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	3.3% (±0.4 points)	3.3%	5.5%	6.2%
2 units	35.0% (±1.1 points)	17.0%	9.6%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	8.3% (±0.6 points)	5.9%	6.9%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	3.8% (±0.5 points)	4.7%	5.2%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	2.4% (±0.4 points)	2.2%	4.4%	4.3%
20 or more units	10.7% (±0.6 points)	6.5%	25.1%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.2% (±0.1 points)	1.5%	2.1%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.1% (±0.1 points)	0.1%	0.0%	0.1%

In Buffalo, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in Erie County (13.4%).

It is also lower than in New York (34.7%).

It is lower than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Buffalo

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Buffalo
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Buffalo	—	16.9% (±0.9 points)	—
Village of Sloan	3.4 mi	4.5% (±5.4 points)	Lower
Village of Kenmore	5.0 mi	8.1% (±1.9 points)	Lower
Lackawanna	5.3 mi	13.2% (±3.3 points)	Lower
Cheektowaga (community)	5.6 mi	9.6% (±1.4 points)	Lower
Eggertsville	5.8 mi	1.8% (±1.6 points)	Lower
Town of Cheektowaga	6.1 mi	9.0% (±1.2 points)	Lower
Town of Tonawanda	6.3 mi	12.9% (±1.8 points)	Lower
Tonawanda Town	6.5 mi	14.1% (±2.2 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Village of Sloan, NY (4.5%), Village of Kenmore, NY (8.1%), Lackawanna, NY (13.2%).

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

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Erie County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Town of Orchard Park	17.4% (±3.0 points)
2	Town of Amherst	17.2% (±1.5 points)
3	Buffalo	16.9% (±0.9 points)
4	Town of Hamburg	15.0% (±1.6 points)
5	Town of West Seneca	14.9% (±2.1 points)
6	Lackawanna	13.2% (±3.3 points)
7	Town of Tonawanda	12.9% (±1.8 points)
8	Town of Grand Island	11.8% (±3.7 points)
9	Town of Concord	10.7% (±4.5 points)

Showing 9 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

How many homes are in Buffalo?

Buffalo, NY has an estimated 136,850 (±1,365) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Buffalo houses or apartments?

36.2% are detached houses and 3.3% attached houses, while 60.2% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Buffalo?

43.3% of homes in Buffalo are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

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_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

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.