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
Normal
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 33%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs46 · Bottom 42%
Climate
61 · Bottom 17%
vs60 · Bottom 14%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs80 · Top 24%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs97 · Top 16%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 36%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | Tonawanda | Normal | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,030 | 53,569 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,326 | $64,785 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,905 | $36,168 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,952/sq mi | 2,867/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $173,600 | $213,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $835 | $965 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.2% | 54.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.5% | 52.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.8% | 21.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 27 | 122 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 58.8% | -14.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.0" | 39.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 18.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.5 | 25.0 | 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.
Normal
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Tonawanda, NY · Normal, IL · How this is calculated: methodology