Compare towns
Buffalo vs Yonkers vs Amherst
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 the most affordable homes ($164k median).
Yonkers has the most expensive homes ($502k median).
Amherst has the most homeowners (69.9%).
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 | Yonkers | Amherst |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 276,854Highest |
209,978 |
130,546Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% NY: +4.2% |
+8%Highest NY: +4.2% |
+5.9%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 34.3±0.5Lowest 14% below NY |
39.9±0.8Highest about the NY average |
39.1±0.8 about the NY average |
| Yonkers and Amherst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.3%±0.6Highest NY: 20.5% |
19.6%±0.9 NY: 20.5% |
19.2%±1Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 14.2%±0.5Lowest NY: 17.9% |
17.6%±0.7 NY: 17.9% |
21.5%±0.9Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.2%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
35.7% NY: 40.2% |
57.3%Highest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.5%±0.5 NY: 7% |
7.1%±0.5Lowest NY: 7% |
13.3%±0.8Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $50,041±$2kLowest 42% below NY |
$83,549±$4k about the NY average |
$93,483±$2kHighest 9% above NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $164,200±$5kLowest 61% below NY |
$501,600±$19kHighest 18% above NY |
$311,600±$7k 26% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,046±$18Lowest 35% below NY |
$1,784±$35Highest 10% above NY |
$1,393±$45 14% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,622Lowest 75% below NY |
$9,676Highest 47% above NY |
$5,935 10% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.3%±2.3Lowest NY: 52.1% |
54.5%±3.3Highest NY: 52.1% |
53.1%±4.3 NY: 52.1% |
| Yonkers and Amherst 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% NY: 14% |
10.1%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 43%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
46.2% NY: 54.3% |
69.9%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
1958 1 yr older than NY |
1971Highest 12 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 39% below NY |
36 minHighest 9% above NY |
20 min 39% below NY |
| Work from home | 11.3%±0.8Lowest NY: 14.9% |
11.6%±1.3 NY: 14.9% |
15.9%±1.4Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #455 of 484 in NY | #280 of 484 in NY | #72 of 484 in NY |
| School district | BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | GREENBURGH-NORTH CASTLE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT · YONKERS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | AMHERST CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | HUTCHINSON CENTRAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL | LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL | WILLIAMSVILLE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
17.0Highest |
11.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 12 photos → |
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.