Compare towns
Tonawanda vs Lancaster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Tonawanda has the most people working from home (16.4%).
Lancaster has the shortest commute (19 min average).
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 | Tonawanda | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 15,030Highest |
10,113Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | 0%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-3.1%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 43.5±2.8Lowest 9% above NY |
45.1±4.7Highest 13% above NY |
| Lancaster and Tonawanda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 18.3%±3.3Highest NY: 20.5% |
17.8%±3.8Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Tonawanda and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 20.6%±3Lowest NY: 17.9% |
21%±4.5Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Lancaster and Tonawanda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.5%Highest NY: 40.2% |
26.6%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.7%±2.3Highest NY: 7% |
3.4%±1.5Lowest NY: 7% |
| Tonawanda and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $58,326±$8kLowest 32% below NY |
$66,148±$7kHighest 23% below NY |
| Lancaster and Tonawanda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $173,600±$7kLowest 59% below NY |
$202,200±$16kHighest 52% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $835±$176Lowest 48% below NY |
$969±$169Highest 40% below NY |
| Lancaster and Tonawanda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,089Lowest 38% below NY |
$4,932Highest 25% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.9%±9.6Highest NY: 52.1% |
52%±19Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Tonawanda and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 13.8%Highest NY: 14% |
6.7%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.2%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
73.7%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 8 yrs older than NY |
1952Highest 7 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 30% below NY |
19 minLowest 42% below NY |
| Work from home | 16.4%±5.9Highest NY: 14.9% |
7%±3.1Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #432 of 484 in NY | — |
| School district | TONAWANDA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| High school in town | TONAWANDA MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.8 |
— |
| 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.