Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety58#389/924
Economy57#402/925
Housing32#625/925
Health82#164/925
Healthcare91#81/923
Environment33#615/917
Education84#145/925
Infrastructure94#56/925
Community81#179/925
Leisure & amenities84#145/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Uninsured residents (under 65) · low3.5%
99/100New York 5.9%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Distance to an airport · low10 mi
98/100New York 15 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Access to exercise opportunities · high95.5%
97/100New York 93.1%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · low6.7 /100k
96/100New York 5.6 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · low6.2 /100k
96/100New York 4.2 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · high2.5%
96/100New York 21.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high41.9%
4/100New York 37.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.73%
4/100New York 1.30%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Days with unhealthy air · high3.0%
10/100New York 1.2%2025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
High ozone days · high3 days
10/100New York 4 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · high2,008 /100k
11/100New York 1,575 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.6%
19/100New York 22.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Homicide rateImproving
8.2 /100k (2021) → 3.4 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−58%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
High ozone daysWorsening
2 days (2017) → 3 days (2022)
+50%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
80.9% (2015-2019) → 90.1% (2020-2024)
+9.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
33.9% (2020 & 2021) → 41.9% (2023 & 2024)
+7.9 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
33.1 /100k (2021) → 20.2 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−39%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Firearm deathsImproving
9.4 /100k (2021) → 6.2 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−34%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k

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, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area improved on 15 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 6 moved within the margin of error and 6 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

Property tax−0.5 points2.24% → 1.72%
Unemployment−5 points9.1% → 4.1%
Firearm deaths−29%8.8 /100k → 6.2 /100k
Homicides−57%7.9 /100k → 3.4 /100k
Violent crime−29%384 /100k → 271 /100k

Declined5

Transit use−0.8 points3.2% → 2.4%
Traffic deaths+27%5.3 /100k → 6.6 /100k
Suicides+15%10.5 /100k → 12.1 /100k
Pharmacies−14%2.0 /10k → 1.7 /10k
Price / income+0.6×2.6× → 3.1×

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.2 /10k2020	4.5 /10k2025	+6.1%	Improved	43%
Average commute time	21.8 min2015-2019	21.5 min2020-2024	−0.3 min	Within the margin of error	71%
Average weekly wage	$1,0722020	$1,3182025	+23%	Improved	47%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.5%2015-2019	36.2%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Improved	71%
Broadband subscriptions	80.9%2015-2019	90.1%2020-2024	+9.2 points	Improved	54%
Child poverty rate	20.8%2015-2019	18.7%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Improved	48%
Distance to an airport	10 mi2020	10 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	84%
Drug overdose deaths	29.6 /100k2020	20.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−32%	Improved	59%
Effective property tax rate	2.24%2015-2019	1.72%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Improved	99%
Firearm deaths	8.8 /100k2020	6.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−29%	Improved	91%
Grocery stores	2.3 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	−0.4%	Little change	49%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.4 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+5.7%	Improved	53%
High school diploma or higher	91.7%2015-2019	92.4%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	37%
Homicide rate	7.9 /100k2020	3.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−57%	Improved	83%
Income adjusted for local prices	$52,3002019	$66,5612024	+27%	Improved	18%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4622015-2019	0.4612020-2024	−0.002	Within the margin of error	60%
Median household income	$57,6212015-2019	$72,2372020-2024	+25%	Improved	42%
New business applications	7.3 /1k2020	9.2 /1k2025	+26%	Improved	22%
Pharmacies	2.0 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−14%	Declined	34%
Poverty rate	14.1%2015-2019	13.8%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Property crime rate	1,954 /100k2020	2,008 /100k2025	+2.8%	Little change	5%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	+1.3%	Little change	73%
Public transit commuters	3.2%2015-2019	2.4%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Declined	21%
Rent as share of income	29.5%2015-2019	30.0%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Rent-burdened households	48.9%2015-2019	50.1%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Restaurants and bars	9.9 /10k2020	9.5 /10k2025	−3.3%	Little change	31%
Suicide rate	10.5 /100k2020	12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+15%	Declined	32%
Traffic deaths	5.3 /100k2015-2019	6.6 /100k2020-2024	+27%	Declined	21%
Unemployment rate	9.1%2020	4.1%2025	−5 points	Improved	92%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.9%2015-2019	3.5%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Little change	54%
Violent crime rate	384 /100k2020	271 /100k2025	−29%	Improved	74%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area 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, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area itself moved −0 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

1,161,343 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

501,549 households (±1,795)

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area
United States share

Under $25k17%83,772
$25k–50k19%93,851
$50k–75k16%81,990

Homes

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

Owners and renters

501,549 households (±1,795)

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area
United States share

Own67%335,035
Rent33%166,514

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

551,098 workers (±3,525)

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area
United States share

Drive alone73%403,498
Carpool7.7%42,474
Public transit2.4%13,488

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY employ 120,060 people. 8 pay a median above the US median and 2 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides18,090 jobs	18,090	$36,570US $35,800	+2%	1.22×
Retail Salespersons15,160 jobs	15,160

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.

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY has 26,972 employer establishments, 233 for every 10,000 residents (0.94× the US rate of 248), with 475,966 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,640. The Census Bureau also counts 76,221 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 26,972; 76,221 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 233; US 248
Paid employees: 475,966
Average annual pay: $57,640; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	2,153	18.6	1.01×About typical	39,141	$23,339	367
Ambulatory health care services	1,976	17.1	0.82×About typical	31,572	$67,325	3,763
Specialty trade contractors	1,734	15	0.97×About typical	14,729	$72,862	3,333
Services to buildings and dwellings	980	8.5	1.26×More than typical	5,695	$39,724	2,777
Lessors of real estate	956	8.3	0.67×Fewer than typical	5,457	$50,371	8,480
Limited-service restaurants	947	8.2	1.02×About typical	16,594	$21,609	157
Full-service restaurants	911	7.9	1.03×About typical	19,143	$24,939	134
Construction of buildings	871	7.5	1.00×About typical	4,234	$68,491	1,344
Offices of physicians	680	5.9	0.91×About typical	11,374	$94,772	794
Personal care services	642	5.5	1.16×About typical	2,870	$28,816	3,587
Automotive repair and maintenance	608	5.3	1.04×About typical	3,524	$48,568	533
Religious organizations	596	5.2	0.93×About typical	4,988	$25,775	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,156,869 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $343.6M on contracts performed in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area: $297 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $343.6M; −28% vs FY2025
Per resident: $297; US $1,995
Sole-source: 48%; US 30%
Single offer: 5.7%; 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$82M24%
Department of the Navy$70.4M20%
Department of the Army$66.8M19%
Department of the Air Force$38.6M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs$30.7M8.9%
U.S. Coast Guard$15.4M4.5%
Agricultural Marketing Service$10.4M3.0%
Department of State$5.5M1.6%

Top recipients

MOOG MILITARY AIRCRAFT LLC$77.4M23%
TECMOTIV (USA), INC.$33.4M9.7%
AVOX SYSTEMS INC$18.7M5.4%
ENVIRO-FIX SOLUTIONS LLC$15.8M4.6%
SEVENSON ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC.$15.5M4.5%

Spending by fiscal year

514MFY2017
537.9MFY2018
685.7MFY2019
491.3MFY2020
399.7MFY2021
444.4MFY2022
532.2MFY2023
400.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$98M29%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$34.7M10%
Motor vehicle parts manufacturing · 3363$30.1M8.8%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$16.4M4.8%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$15.8M4.6%
Boiler, tank, and shipping container manufacturing · 3324

Largest awards

JOINT SERVICE AIRCREW MASK FOR ROTARY WING- PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF MASK PROTECTIVE UNIT-5(V)/P AND COMPONENTS DELIVERY ORDER WHICH HELPS PROTECT WARFIGHTER AGAINST CHEMICAL AGENTS.$75.8M
AVOX SYSTEMS INC· Erie County, NY· Other equipment & supplies· Jun 5, 2019 – May 13, 2026· W911SR19F0053
INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT IN SUPPORT OF THE JOINT THREAT EMITTER ENHANCED DELIVERY INITIATIVE CONTRACT.$74.9M
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION· Erie County, NY· Other equipment & supplies· Mar 24, 2020 – Jun 2, 2026· FA821020F0004
REMEDIAL ACTION AT 18 MILE CREEK$57.2M
SEVENSON ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC.· Niagara County, NY· Facilities & utilities· Jul 19, 2023 – Mar 5, 2026· W912DQ23F3030

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $9.3B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area: $8,085 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $9.3B; −10% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,085; US $12,975
Loan face value: $383.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$5B53%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$822.1M8.8%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$674.6M7.2%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$525.5M5.6%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$512.1M5.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$428.9M4.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$263.6M2.8%
93.770 · Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage$201.4M2.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEW YORK$149.3M1.6%
ALBANY, NY
BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE, INC.$124.9M1.3%
BUFFALO, NY
THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK$117.3M1.3%
BUFFALO, NY
BUFFALO MUNICIPAL HOUSING AUTH$48.5M0.5%
BUFFALO, NY
HEALTH RESEARCH, INC.

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$6.3B68%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$1.5B17%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$587M6.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$205.3M2.2%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing

Assistance by fiscal year

9.3BFY2021
8.8BFY2022
9.2BFY2023
9.6BFY2024
10.4BFY2025
9.3BFY2026

County aggregates

91%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 8, 2026, loaded Oct 8, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in New York

Areas based in New York, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M15380

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in New York

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought