What stands out worked out from the figures below

Buffalo has the most affordable homes ($164k median).

Yonkers has the most expensive homes ($502k median).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Buffalo	Yonkers
People
Population	276,854Highest	209,978Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.5%Lowest NY: +4.2%	+8%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	34.3±0.5Lowest 14% below NY	39.9±0.8Highest about the NY average
Kids under 18	22.3%±0.6Highest NY: 20.5%	19.6%±0.9Lowest NY: 20.5%
Age 65+	14.2%±0.5Lowest NY: 17.9%	17.6%±0.7Highest NY: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	31.2%Lowest NY: 40.2%	35.7%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	8.5%±0.5Highest NY: 7%	7.1%±0.5Lowest NY: 7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$50,041±$2kLowest 42% below NY	$83,549±$4kHighest about the NY average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$164,200±$5kLowest 61% below NY	$501,600±$19kHighest 18% above NY
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,046±$18Lowest 35% below NY	$1,784±$35Highest 10% above NY
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,622Lowest 75% below NY	$9,676Highest 47% above NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52.3%±2.3Lowest NY: 52.1%	54.5%±3.3Highest NY: 52.1%
	Yonkers and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	26%Highest NY: 14%	13.8%Lowest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	43%Lowest NY: 54.3%	46.2%Highest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY	1958Highest 1 yr older than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 39% below NY	36 minHighest 9% above NY
Work from home	11.3%±0.8Lowest NY: 14.9%	11.6%±1.3Highest NY: 14.9%
	Yonkers and Buffalo 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	#280 of 484 in NY
School district	BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT	GREENBURGH-NORTH CASTLE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT · YONKERS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	HUTCHINSON CENTRAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL	LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	12.5Lowest	17.0Highest
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.