Census tract · Erie County
Census Tract 53, Erie County, New York
Census Tract 53, GEOID 36029005300, in Erie County, New York, entirely within Buffalo. 1,545 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±159); the 2020 Census counted 1,184.
Residents, 2020-2024
1,545
±159 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 1,184
Median household income
$65,208
±$4,482 (90% margin)
Erie County: $72,839
Median home value
$380,800
±$101,614 (90% margin)
Erie County: $233,800
Median gross rent
$876
±$271 (90% margin)
Erie County: $1,090
Where is Census Tract 53?
Census Tract 53 is one of 261 census tracts in Erie County, New York. It covers 0.89 square miles of land, 1,324 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 36029005300, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Buffalo | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 53: Tract 52.01 ($105,673), Tract 52.02 ($47,115), Tract 54 ($64,870), Tract 63.02 ($92,459) and Tract 169 ($108,426). 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 53?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 53's population at 1,545 (±159) in 470 households; the 2020 Census counted 1,184 residents and 559 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 53 | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,545±159 | 276,854 |
| Households | 470±61 | 119,630 |
| Average household size | 1.81±0.23 | 2.25 |
| Housing units | 503±53 | 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 53?
The median resident of Census Tract 53 is 22.5 years old; 7.6% are under 18 and 11.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 52.0%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 28.0%.
| Measure | Tract 53 | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 22.5±1.2 | 34.3 |
| Under 18 years | 7.6%±3.1 pts | 22.3% |
| 65 years and over | 11.1%±3.4 pts | 14.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 10.5%±4.3 pts | 12.3% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 52.0%±8.5 pts | 42.4% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 28.0%±8.2 pts | 31.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 7.2%±4.3 pts | 8.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.5%±0.8 pts | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.7 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.8%±1.5 pts | 4.6% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.7 pts | 0.4% |
| Born outside the United States | 3.8%±2.7 pts | 10.9% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 13.3%±4.5 pts | 19.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.8%±1.6 pts | 5.0% |
| With a disability | 13.1%±4.5 pts | 16.3% |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.3%±3.2 pts | 4.1% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.6%±3.6 pts | 87.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 63.0%±8.9 pts | 31.2% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 38.8%±9.9 pts | 14.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 74.2%±8.2 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 53 earn?
Half of the 470 households in Census Tract 53 earn less than $65,208 a year (±$4,482), against $72,839 across Erie County: 150th highest of the county's 246 tracts with a reliable estimate. 12.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 53 | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,208±$4,482 | $50,041 |
| Mean household income | $87,871±$13,899 | $71,605 |
| Per capita income | $29,505±$3,602 | $31,843 |
| People below the poverty line | 12.8%±4.5 pts | 26.0% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0%±29.6 pts | 35.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 21.1%±8.4 pts | 29.3% |
| Households with a computer | 96.2%±4.6 pts | 93.7% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.6%±7.3 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 53?
Owners occupy 40.0% of Census Tract 53's occupied homes and renters 60.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $380,800 by its owner (±$101,614). The median renter pays $876 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 53 | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $380,800±$101,614 | $164,200 |
| Median gross rent | $876±$271 | $1,046 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 17.3%±12.2 pts | 44.1% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,903±$308 | $1,207 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 40.0%±7.9 pts | 43.0% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 60.0%±7.9 pts | 57.0% |
| Housing units | 503±53 | 136,850 |
| Single-family detached homes | 31.2%±7.5 pts | 36.2% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±8.1 pts | 0.2% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±8.1 pts | 0.4% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±8.1 pts | 2.4% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 60.4%±11.0 pts | 61.0% |
| Households with no vehicle | 24.9%±10.6 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 53 get to work?
59.6% of Census Tract 53's workers drive alone and 13.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 15.3 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 53 | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.5%±8.3 pts | 60.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3%±2.8 pts | 7.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 59.6%±10.2 pts | 62.8% |
| Carpooled | 2.7%±3.2 pts | 10.2% |
| Public transportation | 3.9%±4.5 pts | 8.1% |
| Walked | 18.3%±7.1 pts | 4.5% |
| Worked from home | 13.2%±5.9 pts | 11.3% |
| Mean travel time to work | 15.3 min±2.1 | 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 53 compare with the other tracts in Erie County?
Among Erie County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 53 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Erie County | In Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 244th of 259 | 81st of 91 |
| Residents per square mile | 196th of 260 | 89th of 91 |
| Median household income | 150th of 246 | 19th of 81 |
| Per capita income | 187th of 258 | 35th of 91 |
| Median home value | 24th of 245 | 9th of 80 |
| Median gross rent | 200th of 237 | 72nd of 86 |
| Poverty rate | 109th of 197 | 74th of 85 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20th of 250 | 7th of 85 |
| Median age | 253rd of 259 | 86th of 91 |
| Owner-occupied share | 208th of 252 | 47th of 86 |
The tracts next to it on Erie County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 165 | 147th | $66,231±$9,191 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 150.03 | 148th | $66,198±$18,404 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 154.02 | 149th | $65,897±$8,524 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 53 | 150th | $65,208±$4,482 |
| Tract 117 | 151st | $64,922±$12,045 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 54 | 152nd | $64,870±$11,284 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 77 | 153rd | $64,805±$10,043 · 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 53?
Every figure for Census Tract 53 on this page has a coefficient of variation under 40%, the Census Bureau's threshold for a usable estimate.
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