Buffalo and Toledo receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Buffalo
Toledo
Opportunity
35 · Bottom 7%
vs33 · Bottom 7%
Growth
31 · Bottom 19%
vs18 · Bottom 6%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 19%
vs87 · Top 10%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 25%
vs91 · Top 6%
Access
97 · Bottom 49%
vs98 · Top 34%
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 5%
vs38 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Buffalo | Toledo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 276,854 | 267,463 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,041 | $49,724 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,843 | $28,642 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,856/sq mi | 3,323/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $164,200 | $114,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,046 | $901 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 43.0% | 53.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.2% | 21.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 26.0% | 24.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 205 | 34 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7.9% | 21.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.7" | 32.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 21.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.3 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Buffalo
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Toledo
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Buffalo, NY · Toledo, OH · How this is calculated: methodology