Census-designated place · New York
North Boston, New York
North Boston, census-designated place, in Erie County, New York. North Boston had 2,529 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,358 (±401). GEOID 3651583.
Residents, 2020 Census
2,529
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 2,358 ±401
Median household income
$62,377
±$15,539 (90% margin)
New York: $85,974
Median home value
$265,400
±$24,459 (90% margin)
New York: $423,800
Median gross rent
$1,359
±$99 (90% margin)
New York: $1,621
Where is North Boston and what county is it in?
North Boston is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Erie County, New York. It covers 4.1 square miles of land, 613 residents per square mile in 2020.
North Boston is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
North Boston lies entirely within the Town of Boston, a town with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in North Boston, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 2,529 residents in North Boston, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 2,358 (±401).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; North Boston is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | North Boston | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,358 ±401 | 950,622 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,259 ±204 | 409,665 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.87 ±0.17 | 2.26 | −0.30 |
| Housing units | 1,276 ±205 | 441,214 | no clear change |
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 North Boston?
The median resident of North Boston is 57.6 years old; 9.7% are under 18 and 31.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.2%.
| Measure | North Boston | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.6 ±3.7 | 40.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 9.7% ±4.7 pts | 20.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 31.6% ±8.4 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Male | 48.3% ±6.2 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.6% ±1.1 pts | 6.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.6% ±6.1 pts | 72.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 4.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.2% ±6.0 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.4% ±1.9 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 11.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.1% ±5.8 pts | 5.7% | – |
| With a disability | 14.2% ±6.2 pts | 13.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.5% ±2.6 pts | 2.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.1% ±3.5 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 25.9% ±11.1 pts | 38.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.6% ±4.8 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.5% ±7.2 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5% ±0.7 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 North Boston earn?
Half of North Boston's 1,259 households earn less than $62,377 a year (±$15,539), against $72,839 in Erie County and $85,974 in New York. In 2015-2019 it was $70,765 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | North Boston | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,377 ±$15,539 | $72,839 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $81,286 ±$13,391 | $97,738 | – |
| Per capita income | $44,110 ±$5,842 | $42,777 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.6% ±4.3 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±16.9 pts | 18.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.1% ±4.2 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.4% ±4.1 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.2% ±5.5 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 North Boston?
Owners occupy 73.0% of North Boston's occupied homes and renters 27.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $265,400 by its owner (±$24,459). The median renter pays $1,359 a month including utilities, and 42.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | North Boston | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $265,400 ±$24,459 | $233,800 | +$72,058 |
| Median gross rent | $1,359 ±$99 | $1,090 | +$319 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 42.4% ±22.2 pts | 41.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,683 ±$373 | $1,619 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 73.0% ±9.4 pts | 65.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 27.0% ±9.4 pts | 34.2% | – |
| Housing units | 1,276 ±205 | 441,214 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.6% ±4.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 70.6% ±8.9 pts | 58.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 9.9% ±6.1 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.3% ±2.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 14.2% ±7.7 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.4% ±1.9 pts | 29.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.4% ±2.4 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 do people in North Boston work and get to work?
88.8% of North Boston's workers drive alone and 10.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 21.5 minutes.
| Measure | North Boston | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.2% ±9.8 pts | 62.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% ±4.8 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 88.8% ±6.6 pts | 72.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.6% ±1.1 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.5% ±6.5 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.5 min ±3.0 | 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 North Boston?
No census tract lies mostly in North Boston; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 152.02Erie County | 4,892 | $95,889 |
| Tract 152.01Erie County | 3,056 | $81,103 |
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 North Boston) · Census block assignment files
How does North Boston compare with other places in New York?
North Boston ranks 1,327th 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 (ACS 2020-2024) | 1,091st | 1,657 |
| Residents per square mile | 808th | 1,657 |
| Median household income | 1,327th | 1,623 |
| Per capita income | 781st | 1,653 |
| Median home value | 702nd | 1,637 |
| Median gross rent | 519th | 1,515 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1,076th | 1,640 |
| Median age | 39th | 1,654 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,100th | 1,639 |
| Work from home | 855th | 1,350 |
| Travel time to work | 1,238th | 1,652 |
North Boston's figures with every place in New York (CSV)
Every place in New York, sortable · Compare North Boston 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 North Boston?
23 of the 57 figures for North Boston 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 North Boston 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' school search.