Population
1,155,653
2025
−0.8% since 2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. Resident population, July 1 estimate.
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area: population growth, jobs and income
The Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area lost 1,510 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−0.1%).
The Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area had an estimated 1,155,653 residents in 2025, down 0.8% (8,956 fewer people) since 2020.
Data as of 2025 · updated
Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now.
Headline numbers
Net domestic migration
−2,345
2025
−2.0 per 1,000 residents
−12,837 in total, 2021–2025
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. People moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out.
Unemployment rate
4.1%
2025
+0.0 pts since 2019
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2025. Annual average unemployment rate.
New homes permitted (calendar 2025)
1,484
2025
+7.9% since 2024
1.3 per 1,000 residents
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.
Median household income
$72,237
2020–24
+22.3% since 2016–20
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–24. American Community Survey 5-year estimate.
Private-sector employment
475,966
2023
−2.3% since 2018
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. Paid employees of private employers in mid-March (County Business Patterns).
Net migration (IRS tax returns)
−3,504
2022–23
Source: IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data, 2022–23. People on tax returns moving in minus moving out, U.S. and abroad; the sum of the member counties (moves between them cancel out).
Population, migration, employment, permits, unemployment and income are the figures each agency publishes for the area itself (OMB Bulletin 23-01 delineation; ACS 2016-20 and CBP 2018 use the delineation of their year). IRS migration is the sum of the member counties.
What the numbers say
Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 2,345 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.
Private employers had 475,966 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −2.3% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).
Unemployment averaged 4.1% in 2025.
Builders were authorized to start 1,484 new homes in 2025, or 1.3 per 1,000 residents.
Median household income was $72,237 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +22.3% since 2016–20.
Population growth over five years ranks 6th of 13 New York metro areas and 328th of 387 U.S. metro areas.
IRS tax-return data for 2022-2023 show a net loss of 3,504 people (the sum of its counties).
Get Erie County’s next numbers by email
Email me when Erie County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.
How it ranks
| Measure | Among U.S. metro areas |
|---|---|
| Population growth | 328th of 387 |
| Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents | 304th of 387 |
| Private-sector job growth | 310th of 377 |
| Median household income | 195th of 364 |
| Lowest unemployment rate | 185th of 364 |
| New homes permitted per 1,000 residents | 342nd of 387 |
1st = highest (lowest for unemployment), against areas with a figure for the same period.
Fastest-growing metro areas in New York · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S.
Get the Erie County report — $99
The County Growth and Demographics Report for Erie County, NY, the principal county of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY area, as a PDF: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.
Every purchase also includes a CSV of every table in the report, ready for a spreadsheet. See a sample CSV.
- Not useful? Email us within 14 days for a full refund
- Sold by Simply Stats LLC (NC)
- Secure Stripe checkout (Apple Pay/Google Pay)
- Instant PDF download
- PDF + CSV of every table
Refund terms: Terms. · How we compute every number
Counties in this metro area
Erie County, NY drove the change: of the 8,956 residents the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area lost from 2020 to 2025 (the sum of its counties), it lost 5,750 (64%).
| County | Role | Residents2025 | Share of residents2025 | Change2020–2025 | Share of the change2020–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County, NY | Central | 946,741 | 81.9% | −5,750 (−0.6%) | 64% |
| Niagara County, NY | Central | 208,912 | 18.1% | −3,206 (−1.5%) | 36% |
Census Bureau population estimates (July 1). Shares are of the member counties' total; a share of the change shows only when every county moved the same way. – means no figure for the common period.
Nearby and similar metro areas
Next to this metro area
Similar in size
Questions
Is the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area growing?
No. Its population fell 0.8% between 2020 and 2025, about 8,956 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates).
Which county in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area is growing fastest?
None of its 2 member counties grew between 2020 and 2025. Erie County, NY came closest (−0.6%; Census Bureau population estimates).
How many people moved to the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area?
Net domestic migration was about −2,345 in 2025: about 2,345 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau estimate). International migration is not in this figure.
What is the unemployment rate in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area?
It averaged 4.1% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).
What is the population of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area?
About 1,155,653 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.
Erie County data alerts
Email me when Erie County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.
Sources and method
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
- IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data
Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.
Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.