What percentage of people rent in Buffalo, NY?
57.0% (±1.2 points) of the occupied homes in Buffalo, NY are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
That is 68,134 renting households against 51,496 that own their home.
In Buffalo, the share of households that rent went from 59.3% in 2015–2019 to 57.0% in 2020–2024 (−2.3 percentage points), a measurable decrease.
Figures last updated on .
- Households that rent
- 57.0% (±1.2 points)
- Renting households
- 68,134 (±1,644)
- Median renter income
- $37,106 (±$1,885)
Who rents and who owns in Buffalo
| Buffalo | Erie County | New York | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renter-occupied share | 57.0% (±1.2 points) | 34.2% (±0.6 points) | 45.7% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Renting households | 68,134 (±1,644) | 140,013 (±2,493) | 3,525,661 (±12,362) | 45,017,354 |
| Owning households | 51,496 (±1,556) | 269,652 (±2,284) | 4,196,985 (±19,607) | 84,210,142 |
| Average renter household size | 2.1 (±0.0) | 2.0 (±0.0) | 2.3 (±0.0) | 2.3 |
| Average owner household size | 2.4 (±0.1) | 2.4 (±0.0) | 2.7 (±0.0) | 2.6 |
| Median renter household income | $37,106 (±$1,885) | $42,230 (±$1,127) | $57,803 (±$395) | $52,966 |
| Median owner household income | $70,612 (±$3,404) | $94,544 (±$1,609) | $114,563 (±$568) | $100,009 |
In Buffalo, the renter share is higher than in Erie County (34.2%).
It is also higher than in New York (45.7%).
It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).
In Erie County, Buffalo ranks 1 of 29 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.
Statewide, it ranks 20 of 1,004.
Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.
How renting in Buffalo has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households that rent | 59.3% (±0.8 points) | 57.0% (±1.2 points) | −2.3 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $776 (±$9) | $1,046 (±$18) | +34.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $37,354 (±$1,145) | $50,041 (±$1,988) | +34.0% | Up after inflation |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Households that rent in places near Buffalo
| Place | Distance | Households that rent | Compared with this place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | — | 57.0% (±1.2 points) | — |
| Village of Sloan | 3.4 mi | 32.1% (±10.4 points) | Lower |
| Village of Kenmore | 5.0 mi | 31.0% (±4.6 points) | Lower |
| Lackawanna | 5.3 mi | 43.8% (±3.7 points) | Lower |
| Cheektowaga (community) | 5.6 mi | 28.9% (±1.6 points) | Lower |
| Eggertsville | 5.8 mi | 26.5% (±4.6 points) | Lower |
| Town of Cheektowaga | 6.1 mi | 28.5% (±1.4 points) | Lower |
| Town of Tonawanda | 6.3 mi | 27.8% (±2.0 points) | Lower |
| Tonawanda Town | 6.5 mi | 26.9% (±2.3 points) | Lower |
Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Village of Sloan, NY (32.1%), Village of Kenmore, NY (31.0%), Lackawanna, NY (43.8%).
Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.
Households that rent across Erie County, place by place
| Rank | Place | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo | 57.0% (±1.2 points) |
| 2 | Lackawanna | 43.8% (±3.7 points) |
| 3 | Town of Amherst | 30.1% (±1.6 points) |
| 4 | Town of Cheektowaga | 28.5% (±1.4 points) |
| 5 | Town of Tonawanda | 27.8% (±2.0 points) |
| 6 | Tonawanda | 26.8% (±4.1 points) |
| 7 | Town of Orchard Park | 25.5% (±3.5 points) |
Showing 7 of 29 places in Erie County, ranked from highest to lowest.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Buffalo
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Questions about Buffalo
How many renters are there in Buffalo?
Buffalo has an estimated 68,134 (±1,644) renting households, 57.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is renting growing in Buffalo?
In Buffalo, the share of households that rent went from 59.3% in 2015–2019 to 57.0% in 2020–2024 (−2.3 percentage points), a measurable decrease.
How big are renting households in Buffalo?
A renting household in Buffalo has 2.1 people on average, against 2.4 in an owned home.
How much do renters earn in Buffalo?
The median renting household in Buffalo, NY has an income of $37,106 (±$1,885) a year, against $70,612 for households that own their home.
Sources
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Buffalo city, Erie County, New York
- Median Household Income by Tenure (B25119), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Buffalo city, Erie County, New York
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Buffalo city, Erie County, New York
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Buffalo city, Erie County, New York
- Median Household Income (B19013), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Buffalo city, Erie County, New York
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
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) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) 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 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M
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.
Figures last updated on .
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