Census tract · Erie County
Census Tract 172, Erie County, New York
Census Tract 172, GEOID 36029017200, in Erie County, New York, entirely within Tonawanda. 2,324 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±396); the 2020 Census counted 2,263.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,324
±396 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,263
Median household income
$48,887
±$8,787 (90% margin)
Erie County: $72,839
Median home value
$153,200
±$18,477 (90% margin)
Erie County: $233,800
Median gross rent
$697
±$123 (90% margin)
Erie County: $1,090
Where is Census Tract 172?
Census Tract 172 is one of 261 census tracts in Erie County, New York. It covers 0.90 square miles of land, 2,526 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 36029017200, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Tonawanda | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 172: Tract 76 ($51,087), Tract 77 ($64,805), Tract 79.01 ($92,125), Tract 232 in Niagara County ($51,871) and Tract 233.01 in Niagara County ($86,818). 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 172?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 172's population at 2,324 (±396) in 1,109 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,263 residents and 1,214 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 172 | Tonawanda |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,324±396 | 15,030 |
| Households | 1,109±159 | 7,085 |
| Average household size | 2.10±0.23 | 2.11 |
| Housing units | 1,168±157 | 7,412 |
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 172?
The median resident of Census Tract 172 is 45.4 years old; 19.3% are under 18 and 21.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 5.8%.
| Measure | Tract 172 | Tonawanda |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.4±4.1 | 43.5 |
| Under 18 years | 19.3%±5.2 pts | 18.3% |
| 65 years and over | 21.4%±6.0 pts | 20.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.7%±1.7 pts | 4.5% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.7%±6.7 pts | 90.7% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.8%±4.7 pts | 0.6% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 1.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.8%±3.4 pts | 2.2% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.1% |
| Born outside the United States | 9.0%±8.8 pts | 8.1% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 9.2%±9.0 pts | 7.3% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.5%±3.8 pts | 6.8% |
| With a disability | 27.6%±7.5 pts | 16.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.9%±1.7 pts | 2.6% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.5%±4.3 pts | 92.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.9%±7.2 pts | 28.5% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.7%±7.9 pts | 11.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.0%±4.1 pts | 88.7% |
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 172 earn?
Half of the 1,109 households in Census Tract 172 earn less than $48,887 a year (±$8,787), against $72,839 across Erie County: 192nd highest of the county's 246 tracts with a reliable estimate. 20.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 172 | Tonawanda |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,887±$8,787 | $58,326 |
| Mean household income | $60,371±$9,119 | $77,501 |
| Per capita income | $28,456±$3,785 | $36,905 |
| People below the poverty line | 20.7%±10.6 pts | 13.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 10.5%±11.7 pts | 20.2% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 29.8%±9.8 pts | 18.0% |
| Households with a computer | 89.4%±7.3 pts | 93.5% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 80.3%±10.4 pts | 91.5% |
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 172?
Owners occupy 50.5% of Census Tract 172's occupied homes and renters 49.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $153,200 by its owner (±$18,477). The median renter pays $697 a month including utilities, and 40.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 172 | Tonawanda |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $153,200±$18,477 | $173,600 |
| Median gross rent | $697±$123 | $835 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 40.3%±20.8 pts | 37.4% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,181±$131 | $1,339 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 50.5%±8.9 pts | 73.2% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 49.5%±8.9 pts | 26.8% |
| Housing units | 1,168±157 | 7,412 |
| Single-family detached homes | 55.5%±10.8 pts | 74.5% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±3.6 pts | 2.2% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±3.6 pts | 0.6% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±3.6 pts | 0.7% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 57.3%±10.8 pts | 37.8% |
| Households with no vehicle | 25.3%±8.7 pts | 12.1% |
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 172 get to work?
63.2% of Census Tract 172's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 17.6 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 172 | Tonawanda |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.9%±8.3 pts | 61.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2%±5.5 pts | 6.2% |
| Drove alone to work | 63.2%±17.3 pts | 69.0% |
| Carpooled | 22.1%±9.3 pts | 11.5% |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±4.0 pts | 0.7% |
| Walked | 0.0%±4.0 pts | 0.5% |
| Worked from home | 9.0%±6.3 pts | 16.4% |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.6 min±2.0 | 22.7 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 172 compare with the other tracts in Erie County?
Among Erie County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 172 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Erie County | In Tonawanda |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 210th of 259 | 4th of 4 |
| Residents per square mile | 167th of 260 | 4th of 4 |
| Median household income | 192nd of 246 | 4th of 4 |
| Per capita income | 193rd of 258 | 4th of 4 |
| Median home value | 195th of 245 | 4th of 4 |
| Median gross rent | 227th of 237 | 3rd of 4 |
| Poverty rate | 66th of 197 | 1st of 4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 222nd of 250 | 4th of 4 |
| Median age | 68th of 259 | 2nd of 4 |
| Owner-occupied share | 182nd of 252 | 4th of 4 |
The tracts next to it on Erie County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 68.02 | 189th | $50,728±$12,590 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 61 | 190th | $50,222±$14,841 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 109.02 | 191st | $49,591±$13,698 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 172 | 192nd | $48,887±$8,787 |
| Tract 93.01 | 193rd | $48,837±$6,626 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 174 | 194th | $48,299±$9,528 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 91.12 | 195th | $48,233±$19,802 · 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 172?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 172 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