City · New York
Tonawanda, New York
Tonawanda, city, in Erie County, New York. Tonawanda had 14,848 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 15,129 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 15,030 (±36). GEOID 3674166.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
14,848
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 15,129 · ACS 2020-2024: 15,030 ±36
Median household income
$58,326
±$8,034 (90% margin)
New York: $85,974
Median home value
$173,600
±$6,798 (90% margin)
New York: $423,800
Median gross rent
$835
±$176 (90% margin)
New York: $1,621
Where is Tonawanda and what county is it in?
Tonawanda is a city in Erie County, New York. It covers 3.8 square miles of land, 3,978 residents per square mile in 2020.
Tonawanda 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 Tonawanda, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 14,848 people lived in Tonawanda on July 1, 2025, down 1.9% since 2020, a steeper fall than New York's (−1.0%). The 2020 Census counted 15,129 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 15,030 (±36).
| Measure | Tonawanda | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 15,030 ±36 | 950,622 | +200 |
| Households | 7,085 ±364 | 409,665 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.11 ±0.11 | 2.26 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 7,412 ±382 | 441,214 | no clear change |
Tonawanda's population since 2000
From 16,136 in 2000 to 14,848 in 2025: down 8.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Tonawanda 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 Tonawanda?
The median resident of Tonawanda is 43.5 years old; 18.3% are under 18 and 20.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.5%.
| Measure | Tonawanda | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.5 ±2.8 | 40.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.3% ±3.0 pts | 20.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.6% ±3.2 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Male | 50.8% ±3.3 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.5% ±2.9 pts | 6.4% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.7% ±3.6 pts | 72.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.8% ±1.9 pts | 4.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.2% ±1.1 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.1% ±5.8 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.3% ±5.9 pts | 11.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.8% ±2.1 pts | 5.7% | – |
| With a disability | 16.4% ±3.1 pts | 13.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.6% ±1.4 pts | 2.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.0% ±4.0 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 28.5% ±4.1 pts | 38.0% | +5.9 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.2% ±3.2 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.7% ±5.9 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.6% ±0.6 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 Tonawanda earn?
Half of Tonawanda's 7,085 households earn less than $58,326 a year (±$8,034), against $72,839 in Erie County and $85,974 in New York. In 2015-2019 it was $65,368 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tonawanda | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,326 ±$8,034 | $72,839 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $77,501 ±$5,370 | $97,738 | – |
| Per capita income | $36,905 ±$3,011 | $42,777 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 13.8% ±4.0 pts | 13.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 20.2% ±12.3 pts | 18.5% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.0% ±4.4 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.5% ±2.6 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.5% ±3.4 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 Tonawanda?
Owners occupy 73.2% of Tonawanda's occupied homes and renters 26.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $173,600 by its owner (±$6,798). The median renter pays $835 a month including utilities, and 37.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tonawanda | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $173,600 ±$6,798 | $233,800 | +$39,701 |
| Median gross rent | $835 ±$176 | $1,090 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.4% ±11.4 pts | 41.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,339 ±$70 | $1,619 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 73.2% ±4.1 pts | 65.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 26.8% ±4.1 pts | 34.2% | – |
| Housing units | 7,412 ±382 | 441,214 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.7% ±0.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.3% ±5.0 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.5% ±4.7 pts | 58.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.2% ±3.3 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.6% ±0.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.7% ±0.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 37.8% ±4.8 pts | 29.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 12.1% ±3.3 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 Tonawanda building?
Builders took permits for 65 new housing units in Tonawanda in 2025 (5 in single-family houses), 4.4 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 Tonawanda work and get to work?
69.0% of Tonawanda's workers drive alone and 16.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 22.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.2%.
| Measure | Tonawanda | Erie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.2% ±3.6 pts | 62.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% ±2.4 pts | 4.9% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 69.0% ±7.3 pts | 72.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.5% ±4.7 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.7% ±0.8 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Walked | 0.5% ±0.6 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 16.4% ±5.8 pts | 12.9% | +14.8 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.7 min ±2.1 | 21.3 min | +3.8 min |
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 Tonawanda?
4 census tracts lie mostly in Tonawanda (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $48,887 (Tract 172) to $64,805 (Tract 77).
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 Tonawanda) · Census block assignment files
How does Tonawanda compare with other places in New York?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Tonawanda is the 2,417th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 59th-most populous of 594 in New York.
Tonawanda ranks 1,428th 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 | 59th | 594 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 786th | 1,225 |
| Residents per square mile | 189th | 1,657 |
| Median household income | 1,428th | 1,623 |
| Per capita income | 1,133rd | 1,653 |
| Median home value | 1,103rd | 1,637 |
| Median gross rent | 1,249th | 1,515 |
| Poverty rate | 395th | 1,331 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 972nd | 1,640 |
| Median age | 812th | 1,654 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,089th | 1,639 |
| Work from home | 378th | 1,350 |
| Travel time to work | 1,132nd | 1,652 |
Tonawanda's figures with every place in New York (CSV)
Every place in New York, sortable · Compare Tonawanda 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 Tonawanda?
15 of the 57 figures for Tonawanda 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 Tonawanda 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 Tonawanda.