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Tonawanda, NY
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
15,030
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
43.5
years ∙ half population younger than 43.5, half older
Diversity Index
17.4%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
8.1%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Tonawanda is a city within Erie County, New York, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC43.011935° N, 78.883443° W
DMS43° 00′ 42.97″ N, 78° 53′ 00.39″ W
Population Density & area
3,955/sq mi
(1,526/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
50.8%
male
Male
50.8%
Female
49.2%
males per 100 females
Tonawanda
103.1
Erie County
94.8
New York
95.5
Nativity
8.1%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Tonawanda
8.1%
Erie County
7.5%
New York
22.8%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
43.5
years ∙ half population younger than 43.5, half older
Dependency ratio
63.7
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Tonawanda
63.7
Erie County
65.1
New York
62.3
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Tonawanda | Erie County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 18.3% | 20.1% | 20.5% |
| Working age (18-64) | 61.1% | 60.6% | 61.6% |
| Senior (65+) | 20.6% | 19.3% | 17.9% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 63.7 | 65.1 | 62.3 |
| Child dependency ratio | 29.9 | 33.2 | 33.2 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 33.8 | 31.8 | 29.1 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
17.4%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Tonawanda
17.4%
Erie County
45.5%
New York
65.4%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Tonawanda population
| Tonawanda | Erie County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.5% | 6.4% | 19.8% |
| Mexican | 0.5% | 0.8% | 2.6% |
| Puerto Rican | 0.8% | 3.7% | 5.1% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 3.1% | 1.7% | 11.8% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 95.5% | 93.6% | 80.2% |
| One race | 93.3% | 90.1% | 76.4% |
| White | 90.7% | 72.3% | 52.8% |
| Black or African American | 0.6% | 12.1% | 13.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 1.8% | 4.9% | 9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Some Other Race | 0.1% | 0.4% | 1% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 2.2% | 3.5% | 3.8% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
57.8%
family
Family
57.8%
Non family
42.2%
% family households
Tonawanda
57.8%
Erie County
57.1%
New York
61.4%
Average household size
2.11
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Tonawanda population
| Tonawanda | Erie County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 7,085 | 409,665 | 7,722,646 |
| Average houshold size | 2.11 | 2.26 | 2.49 |
| Family households | 4,093 | 233,809 | 4,738,075 |
| Average family size | 2.71 | 2.95 | 3.16 |
| Married couple family | 3,032 | 163,704 | 3,279,487 |
| Other families | 1,061 | 70,105 | 1,458,588 |
| Male householder | 370 | 18,912 | 398,169 |
| Female householder | 691 | 51,193 | 1,060,419 |
| Non-family households | 2,992 | 175,856 | 2,984,571 |
| One-person households | 2,677 | 143,470 | 2,398,170 |
| Male householder | 1,108 | 63,815 | 1,045,868 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 470 | 20,394 | 332,696 |
| Female householder | 1,569 | 79,655 | 1,352,302 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 940 | 40,333 | 673,031 |
| Other living arrangements | 315 | 32,386 | 586,401 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
7,412
housing units
Tonawanda
7,412
Erie County
441,214
New York
8,585,241
Occupancy status
95.6%
occupied
Occupied
95.6%
Vacant
4.4%
vacancy rate
Tonawanda
4.4%
Erie County
7.2%
New York
10%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
75.4%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1951
Half of houses were built before 1951, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Tonawanda | Erie County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5 |
| 1–3 rooms | 7.2% | 9.7% | 24.3% |
| 4–6 rooms | 62.8% | 52.9% | 48.4% |
| 7+ rooms | 30% | 37.4% | 27.2% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 1.1% | 1.8% | 5.4% |
| 1 bedroom | 11.3% | 8.9% | 19% |
| 2 bedrooms | 23.4% | 25.8% | 26.6% |
| 3 bedrooms | 48.6% | 41.9% | 31.1% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 15.7% | 21.6% | 17.9% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1951 | 1958 | 1959 |
| Total housing units | 7,412 | 441,214 | 8,585,241 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
73.2%
owners
Renter-occupied
26.8%
Owner-occupied
73.2%
homeownership rate
Tonawanda
73.2%
Erie County
65.8%
New York
54.3%
Average household size
2.29
Owner-occupied
1.63
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Tonawanda
2.29
Erie County
2.41
New York
2.66
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Tonawanda | Erie County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 7,085 | 409,665 | 7,722,646 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 20.9% | 19.7% | 20.5% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 28.8% | 38.1% | 36.5% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 18.7% | 16.8% | 17.8% |
| 1999 or earlier | 31.6% | 25.4% | 25.2% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 99.8% | 98.7% | 94.7% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0.2% | 0.7% | 3.1% |
| 1.51 or more | 0% | 0.5% | 2.2% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 12.1% | 11.5% | 29.2% |
| 1 vehicle | 41.4% | 39.6% | 33.6% |
| 2 vehicles | 33.8% | 35.5% | 25.4% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 12.8% | 13.4% | 11.8% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 92.1% | 88.8% | 64% |
| Electricity | 6.2% | 8.7% | 15.4% |
| Solar | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0.9% | 0.9% | 16.1% |
| All other fuels | 0.9% | 1% | 2.8% |
| No fuel used | 0% | 0.4% | 1.6% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0% | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| No telephone service available | 1% | 0.9% | 0.9% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$173,600
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
20.6%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Tonawanda | Erie County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $173,600 | $233,800 | $423,800 |
| Under $100,000 | 11.2% | 11.4% | 9.5% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 56.4% | 27.1% | 15% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 28.7% | 28.3% | 13.2% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 1.1% | 23.7% | 19.7% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 0.5% | 8.2% | 30.1% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 1.9% | 1.3% | 12.6% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 57.1% | 56.8% | 57.8% |
| Without a mortgage | 42.9% | 43.2% | 42.2% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $1,339 | $1,619 | $2,555 |
| Without a mortgage | $633 | $661 | $958 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $835 | $1,090 | $1,621 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
28.5%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Tonawanda
28.5%
Erie County
38%
New York
40.2%
Adults without a high school diploma
8.1%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Tonawanda
8.1%
Erie County
7.5%
New York
12%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
3,071
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
56.3%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Tonawanda | Erie County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 3,071 | 217,673 | 4,642,703 |
| Nursery / preschool | 3.4% | 6% | 6.1% |
| K–12 | 68.9% | 63.4% | 64.1% |
| Kindergarten | 2.6% | 5.1% | 4.9% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 16.1% | 19.8% | 18.7% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 22.1% | 18.6% | 20.1% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 28.1% | 19.9% | 20.4% |
| College or graduate school | 27.7% | 30.6% | 29.8% |
| College, undergraduate | 21.5% | 22.7% | 22.5% |
| Graduate, professional school | 6.2% | 7.9% | 7.3% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 56.3% | 50.9% | 48.5% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 81.4% | 81.5% | 74.7% |
| Private school | 18.6% | 18.5% | 25.3% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
11,382
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Tonawanda | Erie County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 11,382 | 674,034 | 14,017,184 |
| Less than 9th grade | 4.4% | 3% | 6% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 3.7% | 4.5% | 6% |
| High school diploma or GED | 28.5% | 25.1% | 24.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 22.1% | 17.4% | 14.6% |
| Associate's degree | 12.9% | 11.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.5% | 38% | 40.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 17.3% | 21% | 22.4% |
| Graduate or professional | 11.2% | 17.1% | 17.9% |
| High School or higher | 92% | 92.5% | 88% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$48,275
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
6.1%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Tonawanda | Erie County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $48,275 | $53,535 | $57,966 |
| Less than high school graduate | $30,336 | $30,386 | $31,511 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $33,322 | $39,102 | $40,549 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $40,918 | $47,901 | $49,306 |
| Bachelor's degree | $70,490 | $64,829 | $76,052 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $63,410 | $79,022 | $95,435 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 23.6% | 31.8% | 28.1% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 13.9% | 16.6% | 16.8% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 11% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.1% | 5.1% | 5.3% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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