Compare towns
West Seneca vs Buffalo
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
West Seneca has the most homeowners (76.9%).
Buffalo has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
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 | West Seneca | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 45,303Lowest |
276,854Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.8%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
+6.5%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 43.5±1.3Highest 9% above NY |
34.3±0.5Lowest 14% below NY |
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±1.6Lowest NY: 20.5% |
22.3%±0.6Highest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 20.4%±1.3Highest NY: 17.9% |
14.2%±0.5Lowest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.5%Highest NY: 40.2% |
31.2%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±0.7Lowest NY: 7% |
8.5%±0.5Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $79,709±$4kHighest 7% below NY |
$50,041±$2kLowest 42% below NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $232,800±$6kHighest 45% below NY |
$164,200±$5kLowest 61% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,106±$39Highest 32% below NY |
$1,046±$18Lowest 35% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,199Highest 21% below NY |
$1,622Lowest 75% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.5%±5.7Lowest NY: 52.1% |
52.3%±2.3Highest 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 | 8.8%Lowest NY: 14% |
26%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 76.9%Highest NY: 54.3% |
43%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Highest 8 yrs newer than NY |
1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 29% below NY |
20 minLowest 39% below NY |
| Work from home | 10.2%±1.5Lowest NY: 14.9% |
11.3%±0.8Highest 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 | #201 of 484 in NY | #455 of 484 in NY |
| School district | WEST SENECA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | WEST SENECA WEST SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | HUTCHINSON CENTRAL TECHNICAL 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.