Compare towns
Buffalo vs West Seneca
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Buffalo has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
West Seneca has the most homeowners (76.9%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Buffalo | West Seneca |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 276,854Highest |
45,303Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest NY: +4.2% |
+1.8%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 34.3±0.5Lowest 14% below NY |
43.5±1.3Highest 9% above NY |
| Kids under 18 | 22.3%±0.6Highest NY: 20.5% |
18.7%±1.6Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 14.2%±0.5Lowest NY: 17.9% |
20.4%±1.3Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.2%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
34.5%Highest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.5%±0.5Highest NY: 7% |
4.4%±0.7Lowest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $50,041±$2kLowest 42% below NY |
$79,709±$4kHighest 7% below NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $164,200±$5kLowest 61% below NY |
$232,800±$6kHighest 45% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,046±$18Lowest 35% below NY |
$1,106±$39Highest 32% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,622Lowest 75% below NY |
$5,199Highest 21% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.3%±2.3Highest NY: 52.1% |
47.5%±5.7Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Buffalo and West Seneca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 26%Highest NY: 14% |
8.8%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 43%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
76.9%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
1967Highest 8 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 39% below NY |
23 minHighest 29% below NY |
| Work from home | 11.3%±0.8Highest NY: 14.9% |
10.2%±1.5Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Buffalo and West Seneca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #455 of 484 in NY | #201 of 484 in NY |
| School district | BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | WEST SENECA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | HUTCHINSON CENTRAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL | WEST SENECA WEST SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
12.5 |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet |
NY average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.