Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety64#5,548/15,637
Economy2#15,380/15,631
Housing20#12,032/14,977
Health27#11,470/15,609
Healthcare36#10,055/15,650
Environment63#5,649/15,453
Education34#10,326/15,649
Infrastructure52#7,522/15,650
Community50#7,762/15,651
Leisure & amenities49#8,040/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Niagara Falls, New York ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Niagara County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Mental health care shortage · low0.0
91/100New York 4.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationNiagara County value
Public transit commuters · high3.4%
89/100New York 21.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Median Air Quality Index · low34
88/100New York 402025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyNiagara County value
Hot days · low4 days
88/100New York 3 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationNiagara County value
Average commute time · low19.0 min
85/100New York 32.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Home price to income ratio · low2.3×
84/100New York 4.9×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Weaknesses

Child poverty rate · high35.5%
2/100New York 17.9%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Hospital quality rating · low1.5
3/100New York 2.8United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesNiagara County value
Adult obesity · high44.4%
6/100New York 32.9%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Poverty rate · high23.7%
7/100New York 14.0%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
New business applications · low8.5 /1k
10/100New York 15.1 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauNiagara County value
Unemployment rate · high9.6%
10/100New York 4.3%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.8% (2015-2019) → 87.2% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New homes permittedWorsening
0.1 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−71%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateImproving
45.1% (2015-2019) → 35.5% (2020-2024)
−9.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$36,346 (2015-2019) → $49,101 (2020-2024)
+35%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateImproving
28.2% (2015-2019) → 23.7% (2020-2024)
−4.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
18.7% (2015-2019) → 22.7% (2020-2024)
+4.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Niagara Falls, New York improved on 6 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 7 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved6

Property tax−0.7 points2.14% → 1.44%
Child poverty−9.6 points45.1% → 35.5%
Broadband+15 points71.8% → 87.2%
Poverty−4.5 points28.2% → 23.7%
Household income+35%$36,346 → $49,101

Declined2

Unemployment+2.8 points6.9% → 9.6%
Price / income+0.2×2.1× → 2.3×

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Niagara Falls, New York between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	19.2 min2015-2019	19.1 min2020-2024	−0.2 min	Within the margin of error	50%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.7%2015-2019	22.7%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Improved	60%
Broadband subscriptions	71.8%2015-2019	87.2%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	81%
Child poverty rate	45.1%2015-2019	35.5%2020-2024	−9.6 points	Improved	81%
Effective property tax rate	2.14%2015-2019	1.44%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Improved	97%
High school diploma or higher	87.8%2015-2019	88.8%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Home price to income ratio	2.1×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	+0.2×	Declined	67%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4902015-2019	0.4672020-2024	−0.023	Within the margin of error	69%
Median household income	$36,3462015-2019	$49,1012020-2024	+35%	Improved	65%
Poverty rate	28.2%2015-2019	23.7%2020-2024	−4.5 points	Improved	78%
Public transit commuters	2.8%2015-2019	3.4%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	98%
Rent as share of income	33.2%2015-2019	36.2%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Rent-burdened households	54.8%2015-2019	58.4%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Unemployment rate	6.9%2015-2019	9.6%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Declined	11%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.3%2015-2019	4.8%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	40%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Niagara Falls, New York five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Niagara Falls, New York in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Niagara Falls, New York itself moved +3 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

47,987 residents (±44)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 women (−1.4 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

47,987 residents (±44)

Niagara Falls, New York
New York share

White63%30,197
Black18%8,565
Hispanic or Latino7.6%3,637

Education

33,917 residents (±605)

Niagara Falls, New York
New York share

No high school diploma11%3,809
High school or GED38%12,880
Some college17%5,848

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

22,730 households (±520)

Niagara Falls, New York
New York share

Under $25k27%6,223
$25k–50k24%5,397
$50k–75k16%3,617
$75k–100k15%3,383
$100k–150k10%2,341
$150k–200k4.3%979
$200k or more3.5%†790

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−9.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

22,730 households (±520)

Niagara Falls, New York
New York share

Own58%13,289
Rent42%9,441

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

8,882 households (±564)

Niagara Falls, New York
New York share

Under $75038%3,399
$750–1,00029%2,536
$1,000–1,50022%1,993

Home values

13,289 homes (±613)

Niagara Falls, New York
New York share

Under $150k66%8,716
$150k–250k23%3,113
$250k–400k6.1%809

Age of homes

26,251 homes (±572)

Niagara Falls, New York
New York share

2010 or later1.2%†325
2000–20092.3%593
1980–19994.2%1,110

Size of homes

26,251 homes (±572)

Niagara Falls, New York
New York share

Studio2.5%†651
1 bedroom11%2,824
2 bedrooms29%7,691

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

20,505 workers (±964)

Niagara Falls, New York
New York share

Drive alone74%15,102
Carpool8.6%1,766
Public transit3.4%†700
Walk3.5%†713
Bike1.0%†214
Work from home7.4%1,523
Other2.4%†487

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−6.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

18,982 workers (±886)

Niagara Falls, New York
New York share

Under 15 min44%8,274
15–29 min34%6,503
30–44 min16%2,992

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Niagara County, the county holding most of Niagara Falls's residents.

Niagara County has 4,475 employer establishments, 214 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248; 0.78× New York's), with 57,764 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,943. The Census Bureau also counts 12,266 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 4,475; 12,266 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 214; US 248 · New York 274
Paid employees: 57,764
Average annual pay: $47,943; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Niagara County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	376	18	0.98×About typical	5,824	$22,793	50
Specialty trade contractors	358	17.1	1.10×About typical	2,060	$67,245	699
Ambulatory health care services	300	14.3	0.69×Fewer than typical	3,271	$58,032	508
Services to buildings and dwellings	192	9.2	1.36×More than typical	637	$54,942	590
Construction of buildings	177	8.5	1.12×About typical	690	$60,865	272
Full-service restaurants	169	8.1	1.05×About typical	2,948	$23,432	11
Limited-service restaurants	148	7.1	0.88×About typical	2,263	$21,262	26
Landscaping services	138	6.6	1.88×More than typical	399	$69,955	220
Lessors of real estate	129	6.2	0.50×Fewer than typical	471	$49,510	1,152
Religious organizations	125	6	1.08×About typical	643	$20,932	—
Building equipment contractors	119	5.7	0.94×About typical	929	$61,072	126
Automotive repair and maintenance	113	5.4	1.07×About typical	618	$46,159	135

Rank places for an industry Open Niagara County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 209,451 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $22.1M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Niagara Falls, New York: $460 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $22.1M; −40% vs FY2025
Per resident: $460; US $1,994
Sole-source: 65%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$17M77%
Department of the Air Force$2.6M12%
Department of the Army$2M9.1%
Environmental Protection Agency$1.5M6.7%
Department of the Navy$1.4M6.1%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$822.3K3.7%
U.S. Coast Guard$105.1K0.5%
Indian Health Service$61.8K0.3%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

23.5MFY2017
11.1MFY2018
35.8MFY2019
31.8MFY2020
6.7MFY2021
29.2MFY2022
47.3MFY2023
24.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Motor vehicle parts manufacturing · 3363$15.1M68%
Facilities support services · 5612$2.1M9.5%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$1.4M6.3%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$1.1M4.8%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$1M4.7%
Engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing · 3336

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Niagara Falls, New York

THIS TASK ORDER SATISFIES THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM ORDER AMOUNT OF $2,500.00 FOR W912DQ-14-D-3004.$28.8M
SEVENSON ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC.· Niagara County, NY· Facilities & utilities· Apr 18, 2017 – May 11, 2026· 0001
PHASE TWO DESIGN/BUILD CONTRACT FOR THE NIAGARA FALLS BORDER PATROL STATION.$24.9M
BOREALIS ENTERPRISES LLC· Niagara County, NY· Construction & real property· Sep 29, 2023 – Apr 6, 2026· 70B01C23C00000142
FMS TECMOTIV ENGINES AVDS 17902CA AND SPARE PARTS$16.1M
FEDERAL RESOURCES SUPPLY COMPANY, LLC· Niagara County, NY· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Mar 25, 2025 – Sep 1, 2026· 47QSWC25F0066

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Niagara Falls, New York, so they do not add up across cities.

Niagara Falls, New York's figures are part of those of Niagara County, NY ($94.6M in FY2026), never added to them: 23% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Niagara Falls is mostly in Niagara County.

See federal money in Niagara County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Niagara Falls, New York is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Niagara County68100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY81

Other cities and towns in Niagara County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3651055

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends