Tonawanda receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Tonawanda
Buffalo
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 33%
vs33 · Bottom 9%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs37 · Bottom 27%
Climate
61 · Bottom 17%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs80 · Top 25%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs81 · Top 50%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 36%
vs33 · Bottom 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Tonawanda | Buffalo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,030 | 276,854 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,326 | $50,041 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,905 | $31,843 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,952/sq mi | 6,856/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $173,600 | $164,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $835 | $1,046 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.2% | 43.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.5% | 31.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.8% | 26.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 27 | 205 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 58.8% | 7.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.0" | 40.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 21.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.5 | 34.3 | 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
Tonawanda
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Buffalo
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Tonawanda, NY · Buffalo, NY · How this is calculated: methodology