Erie County, New York Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Erie County is located in New York with a total population of 950,622. It is the 8th most populous county out of 62 in New York. The county encompasses 38 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Erie County is 40.4 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 39.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Erie County is $72,839. This is 15% lower than the state median of $85,974. It is also 10% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.9%. This is 1% lower than the state poverty rate of 14.0%. The unemployment rate is 4.9%. This is 24% lower than the state rate of 6.4%. The median home value is $233,800. Housing costs are 45% lower than the state median of $423,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.2x. 65.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 21% higher than the state average of 54.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Erie County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 72.3% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 12.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population (6.4%) is well below the state average of 19.8%.

Education

38.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 5% lower than the state rate of 40.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.5%. Notably, 17.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Erie County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against New York and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.