City · New York
Lackawanna, New York
Lackawanna, city, in Erie County, New York. Lackawanna had 19,452 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 19,949 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 19,753 (±33). GEOID 3640189.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
19,452
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 19,949 · ACS 2020-2024: 19,753 ±33
Median household income
$52,110
±$4,833 (90% margin)
New York: $85,974
Median home value
$140,700
±$7,808 (90% margin)
New York: $423,800
Median gross rent
$872
±$37 (90% margin)
New York: $1,621
Where is Lackawanna and what county is it in?
Lackawanna is a city in Erie County, New York. It covers 6.5 square miles of land, 3,047 residents per square mile in 2020.
Lackawanna is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Lackawanna, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 19,452 people lived in Lackawanna on July 1, 2025, down 2.4% since 2020, a steeper fall than New York's (−1.0%). The 2020 Census counted 19,949 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 19,753 (±33).
| Measure | Lackawanna | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 19,753 ±33 | 950,622 | +1,922 |
| Households | 8,384 ±478 | 409,665 | +807 |
| Average household size | 2.33 ±0.13 | 2.26 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 9,321 ±498 | 441,214 | +799 |
Lackawanna's population since 2000
From 19,064 in 2000 to 19,452 in 2025: up 2.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Lackawanna as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Lackawanna?
The median resident of Lackawanna is 37.9 years old; 24.6% are under 18 and 16.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 66.7%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 15.2%. 8.6% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Lackawanna | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.9 ±3.0 | 40.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.6% ±2.9 pts | 20.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.8% ±2.4 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Male | 48.2% ±2.3 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 11.7% ±3.4 pts | 6.4% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 66.7% ±4.9 pts | 72.3% | −8.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 15.2% ±4.3 pts | 12.1% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.7 pts | 4.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.4% ±2.0 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.6% ±1.7 pts | 7.5% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 23.1% ±4.4 pts | 11.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.3% ±1.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
| With a disability | 19.4% ±2.7 pts | 13.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.5% ±1.3 pts | 2.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.3% ±2.4 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.0% ±2.6 pts | 38.0% | +3.7 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.2% ±1.9 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.3% ±2.5 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.3% ±0.3 pts | 1.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Lackawanna earn?
Half of Lackawanna's 8,384 households earn less than $52,110 a year (±$4,833), against $72,839 in Erie County and $85,974 in New York. In 2015-2019 it was $47,122 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 23.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Lackawanna | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,110 ±$4,833 | $72,839 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $61,687 ±$3,906 | $97,738 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,611 ±$2,046 | $42,777 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 23.2% ±5.2 pts | 13.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 35.7% ±11.3 pts | 18.5% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 28.9% ±4.2 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 90.8% ±2.2 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.2% ±2.4 pts | 90.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Lackawanna?
Owners occupy 56.2% of Lackawanna's occupied homes and renters 43.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $140,700 by its owner (±$7,808). The median renter pays $872 a month including utilities, and 41.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Lackawanna | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $140,700 ±$7,808 | $233,800 | +$24,153 |
| Median gross rent | $872 ±$37 | $1,090 | +$65 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 41.0% ±6.7 pts | 41.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,232 ±$115 | $1,619 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 56.2% ±3.7 pts | 65.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 43.8% ±3.7 pts | 34.2% | – |
| Housing units | 9,321 ±498 | 441,214 | +799 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.9% ±2.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.3% ±3.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 46.6% ±3.9 pts | 58.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.1% ±1.0 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.6% ±1.1 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 30.9% ±3.5 pts | 29.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 17.5% ±3.4 pts | 11.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Lackawanna building?
Builders took permits for 5 new housing units in Lackawanna in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.3 per 1,000 residents against 1.9 across New York.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Lackawanna work and get to work?
71.1% of Lackawanna's workers drive alone and 7.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 20.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.9%.
| Measure | Lackawanna | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.0% ±3.7 pts | 62.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% ±2.5 pts | 4.9% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 71.1% ±4.5 pts | 72.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.5% ±3.5 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 3.3% ±2.4 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Walked | 2.1% ±1.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.8% ±2.4 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.0 min ±2.0 | 21.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Lackawanna?
6 census tracts lie mostly in Lackawanna (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $36,940 (Tract 124) to $70,093 (Tract 125.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 125.01Erie County | 4,090 | $59,945 |
| Tract 174Erie County | 4,272 | $48,299 |
| Tract 123Erie County | 3,405 | $43,733 |
| Tract 124Erie County | 2,816 | $36,940 |
| Tract 162Erie County | 2,650 | $56,827 |
| Tract 125.02Erie County | 2,520 | $70,093 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Lackawanna) · Census block assignment files
How does Lackawanna compare with other places in New York?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Lackawanna is the 1,988th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 46th-most populous of 594 in New York.
Lackawanna ranks 1,521st of 1,623 places in New York with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 46th | 594 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 910th | 1,225 |
| Residents per square mile | 271st | 1,657 |
| Median household income | 1,521st | 1,623 |
| Per capita income | 1,580th | 1,653 |
| Median home value | 1,357th | 1,637 |
| Median gross rent | 1,170th | 1,515 |
| Poverty rate | 88th | 1,331 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1,357th | 1,640 |
| Median age | 1,368th | 1,654 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,458th | 1,639 |
| Work from home | 1,128th | 1,350 |
| Travel time to work | 1,388th | 1,652 |
Lackawanna's figures with every place in New York (CSV)
Every place in New York, sortable · Compare Lackawanna with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Lackawanna?
10 of the 57 figures for Lackawanna on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Lackawanna are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Lackawanna.