Census tract · Erie County
Census Tract 42, Erie County, New York
Census Tract 42, GEOID 36029004200, in Erie County, New York, entirely within Buffalo. 3,760 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±704); the 2020 Census counted 3,689.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,760
±704 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,689
Median household income
$51,250
±$15,636 (90% margin)
Erie County: $72,839
Median home value
$89,600
±$7,350 (90% margin)
Erie County: $233,800
Median gross rent
$1,263
±$173 (90% margin)
Erie County: $1,090
Where is Census Tract 42?
Census Tract 42 is one of 261 census tracts in Erie County, New York. It covers 0.37 square miles of land, 9,864 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 36029004200, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Buffalo | 100% |
7 census tracts border Census Tract 42: Tract 39.01, Tract 41 ($39,205), Tract 43 ($47,427), Tract 44.01 ($53,338), Tract 44.02 ($30,529), Tract 47.01 ($40,990) and Tract 47.02 ($41,617). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 42?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 42's population at 3,760 (±704) in 1,421 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,689 residents and 1,615 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,760±704 | 276,854 |
| Households | 1,421±157 | 119,630 |
| Average household size | 2.65±0.44 | 2.25 |
| Housing units | 1,626±131 | 136,850 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 42?
The median resident of Census Tract 42 is 32.3 years old; 34.9% are under 18 and 13.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 87.3%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 5.9%. 6.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.3±9.2 | 34.3 |
| Under 18 years | 34.9%±8.8 pts | 22.3% |
| 65 years and over | 13.2%±3.8 pts | 14.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.2%±4.9 pts | 12.3% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 2.4%±2.3 pts | 42.4% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 87.3%±6.3 pts | 31.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 5.9%±4.1 pts | 8.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.3%±1.2 pts | 4.6% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.4% |
| Born outside the United States | 6.5%±4.1 pts | 10.9% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 11.9%±5.8 pts | 19.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.6%±1.5 pts | 5.0% |
| With a disability | 16.7%±5.2 pts | 16.3% |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.9%±4.0 pts | 4.1% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.0%±7.1 pts | 87.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 13.2%±4.6 pts | 31.2% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.1%±2.4 pts | 14.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.9%±13.8 pts | 86.1% |
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 Census Tract 42 earn?
Half of the 1,421 households in Census Tract 42 earn less than $51,250 a year (±$15,636), against $72,839 across Erie County: 186th highest of the county's 246 tracts with a reliable estimate. 46.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,250±$15,636 | $50,041 |
| Mean household income | $52,946±$9,658 | $71,605 |
| Per capita income | $20,358±$4,745 | $31,843 |
| People below the poverty line | 46.4%±12.8 pts | 26.0% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 72.5%±20.4 pts | 35.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 36.7%±9.7 pts | 29.3% |
| Households with a computer | 97.4%±2.6 pts | 93.7% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.7%±6.9 pts | 88.5% |
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 Census Tract 42?
Owners occupy 52.5% of Census Tract 42's occupied homes and renters 47.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $89,600 by its owner (±$7,350). The median renter pays $1,263 a month including utilities, and 49.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $89,600±$7,350 | $164,200 |
| Median gross rent | $1,263±$173 | $1,046 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 49.7%±19.2 pts | 44.1% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $944±$32 | $1,207 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 52.5%±11.5 pts | 43.0% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 47.5%±11.5 pts | 57.0% |
| Housing units | 1,626±131 | 136,850 |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.1%±8.5 pts | 36.2% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±2.6 pts | 0.2% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±2.6 pts | 0.4% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±2.6 pts | 2.4% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 69.6%±11.1 pts | 61.0% |
| Households with no vehicle | 17.6%±8.6 pts | 22.6% |
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 Census Tract 42 get to work?
42.1% of Census Tract 42's workers drive alone and 26.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 17.0 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 47.1%±8.8 pts | 60.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 11.0%±8.5 pts | 7.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 42.1%±16.9 pts | 62.8% |
| Carpooled | 9.0%±9.8 pts | 10.2% |
| Public transportation | 22.3%±16.9 pts | 8.1% |
| Walked | 0.0%±4.2 pts | 4.5% |
| Worked from home | 26.6%±17.1 pts | 11.3% |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.0 min±5.8 | 19.9 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
How does Census Tract 42 compare with the other tracts in Erie County?
Among Erie County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 42 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Erie County | In Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 118th of 259 | 26th of 91 |
| Residents per square mile | 43rd of 260 | 39th of 91 |
| Median household income | 186th of 246 | 34th of 81 |
| Per capita income | 235th of 258 | 71st of 91 |
| Median home value | 232nd of 245 | 69th of 80 |
| Median gross rent | 52nd of 237 | 11th of 86 |
| Poverty rate | 7th of 197 | 7th of 85 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 237th of 250 | 74th of 85 |
| Median age | 228th of 259 | 67th of 91 |
| Owner-occupied share | 171st of 252 | 21st of 86 |
The tracts next to it on Erie County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 67.01 | 183rd | $53,190±$22,937 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 19 | 184th | $51,935±$8,759 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 91.15 | 185th | $51,373±$9,740 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 42 | 186th | $51,250±$15,636 |
| Tract 76 | 187th | $51,087±$9,549 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 175.01 | 188th | $50,843±$2,655 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 68.02 | 189th | $50,728±$12,590 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 42?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 42 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections