Sunset Bay, New York Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 384, Sunset Bay's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Sunset Bay is a small community located in New York, within Chautauqua County. The total population is 384. It ranks as the 1120th most populous out of 1,289 Census-designated places in New York.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sunset Bay is 66.5 years. This is 67% higher than the state median of 39.8 years. Only 3.4% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 29.9% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sunset Bay is $66,731. This is 22% lower than the state median of $85,974. It is also 17% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.4%. This is 5% lower than the state poverty rate of 14.0%. The survey records no unemployed residents in Sunset Bay, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $245,000. Housing costs are 42% lower than the state median of $423,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 89.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 65% higher than the state average of 54.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

Sunset Bay has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.9% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 6.5%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (90.9% vs 52.8%). The Black or African American population (6.5%) is well below the state average of 13.4%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.6%) is well below the state average of 19.8%.

Education

31.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 22% 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 82.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Sunset Bay, New York is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against New York state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,289 Census-designated places in New York. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.