Erie and Niagara Counties

Tables of selected demographics ››

Metropolitan Buffalo and Niagara Falls is home to nearly 1.2 million people, with roughly 80 percent residing in Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo. Niagara County includes the city of Niagara Falls but is less densely populated. Population in both counties has been falling for decades and declined moderately in the 1990s.

The educational profile of the population is similar to that of the nation; 23 percent of adults hold college degrees, compared with 27 percent statewide. Median household income is somewhat below average in both counties as well (see table below). In terms of the area's demographic profile, Blacks make up roughly 12 percent of the population-close to the national average. However, Hispanics account for just 3 percent and Asians for just over 1 percent of the population, both well below the nationwide figures.

Historically, Buffalo's key industries largely involved durable goods manufacturing, particularly steel. In recent decades, however, many of these industries have contracted substantially at the national level, and even more sharply locally. Durable-goods manufacturing still accounts for an above-average share of employment in the Buffalo area today, but by a much smaller margin. Moreover, transportation equipment is now the largest manufacturing industry here, as well as production of component parts.

Metropolitan Buffalo sustained modest job losses in 2005, following modest growth in 2004; in 2006, the Buffalo area has experienced another modest upturn in employment. The area's housing market has fared reasonably well throughout—the median house price has risen at a 5-6 percent rate in recent years, but it has yet to reach $100,000.