Erie County, New York: commercial real estate data.
Erie County, New York has a population of 950,622 across 1,043 square miles, down 0.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $81.13 bn in 2024, 22,497 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,222 7(a) approvals worth $335.6 m.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Erie County
How many people live in Erie County
- Population950,622
- Households409,665
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$72,839
- Median age40.4
- Median gross rent$1,090 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$233,800
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher38.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over674,034
- Population under 18191,431
- Share under 1820.1 percent
- Population 65 and over183,350
- Share 65 and over19.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64575,841
- Civilian labor force487,440
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.2 percent
- Rank by population among New York counties8th of 62
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents58th
Erie County is the 8th largest of 62 New York counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.1 percent against 19.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Erie County
Is Erie County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.38 percent
- Census 2020 base population954,208
- Births, 20249,105
- Deaths, 20249,673
- Natural change, 2024-568
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2,614
- Net international migration, 20245,371
- Total net migration, 20242,757
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-10,972
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1980th
The county has lost 0.38 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Erie County
Where people moving to Erie County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving11,883
- People arriving, from those returns19,578
- Adjusted gross income arriving$793.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$66,766
- Largest single originErie County Non-migrants (379,647 households)
- Largest single destination (379,647 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County Non-migrants | 379,647 | 711,660 | $32.15 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,085 | 5,212 | $242.7 m |
| Niagara County | 1,963 | 2,976 | $113.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,363 | 2,384 | $106.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 644 | 1,069 | $46.4 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 606 | 983 | $47.7 m |
| Monroe County | 577 | 793 | $37.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 472 | 776 | $42.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Erie County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Erie County
What the Erie County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$81.13 bn
- County GDP, 2023$77.72 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years31.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among New York counties7th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents65th
- GDP per resident$85,346
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 31.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Erie County
Who employs people in Erie County
- Covered employment, annual average466,138
- Establishments reporting25,097
- Average annual pay$66,971
- Average weekly wage$1,288
- Sector 62, employment68,872
- Sector 62, average annual pay$62,866
- Sector 44-45, employment47,891
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,303
- Sector 31-33, employment44,526
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$80,771
- Sector 72, employment38,924
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,680
- Sector 56, employment27,133
- Sector 54, employment24,595
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 68,872 | 2,500 | $62,866 |
| Sector 44-45 | 47,891 | 2,854 | $39,303 |
| Sector 31-33 | 44,526 | 1,024 | $80,771 |
| Sector 72 | 38,924 | 2,272 | $26,680 |
| Sector 56 | 27,133 | 1,760 | $54,244 |
| Sector 54 | 24,595 | 2,497 | $87,001 |
| Sector 52 | 23,207 | 1,180 | $99,363 |
| Sector 48-49 | 22,456 | 640 | $49,893 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 68,872 jobs, 14.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Erie County
What businesses operate in Erie County
- Establishments, all industries22,497
- Employment at those establishments418,202
- Annual payroll$24.67 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Erie County
What is being built in Erie County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,208
- Declared construction value permitted$361.5 m
- Single family units authorised584
- Multifamily units authorised624
- Multifamily share of units51.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$299,290
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.9
Multifamily is 51.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Erie County
How much SBA lending happens in Erie County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,222
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$335.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$274,620
- Median 7(a) approval$90,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$582,200
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)10,556
- Jobs per approval8.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active61
- Distinct industries receiving approvals294
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer7.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms87
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,096
- Franchise loans91
- Franchise share of approvals7.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (71)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (599)
- 504 approvals recorded224
- 504 gross approval dollars$130.6 m
- Average 504 approval$582,813
- Median 504 approval$348,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval8.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.6
- Most active CDCEmpire State Certified Development Corporation (222)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals84.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$466.1 m
The average approval of $274,620 sits well above the median of $90,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 7.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Erie County
Do SBA loans in Erie County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded207
- Paid in full188
- Charged off19
- Charge off rate on resolved loans9.2 percent
- Status: Paid in full188
- Status: Cancelled147
- Status: Exempt from disclosure777
- Status: Charged off19
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed91
Of the 207 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.2 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Erie County
Which parts of Erie County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending53
- BUFFALO, approvals526
- Hamburg, approvals79
- Orchard Park, approvals53
- Williamsville, approvals52
- Tonawanda, approvals51
- Amherst, approvals44
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BUFFALO | 526 | $135,252,200 |
| Hamburg | 79 | $21,369,600 |
| Orchard Park | 53 | $14,157,300 |
| Williamsville | 52 | $23,636,500 |
| Tonawanda | 51 | $19,023,600 |
| Amherst | 44 | $18,002,100 |
| DEPEW | 43 | $15,408,500 |
| CLARENCE | 31 | $3,114,900 |
BUFFALO accounts for 526 approvals against 79 in Hamburg. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Erie County
How big is Erie County
- Land area1,043 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New York counties14th of 62
- Width, east to west34.2 mi
- Height, north to south44.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land911
- Establishments per square mile21.57
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Erie County
What hazards affect Erie County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book43
- Of those, participating in the NFIP43
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Erie County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Erie County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population950,622
- Households409,665
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$72,839
- Median age40.4
Common questions
Erie County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Erie County, New York?
950,622, in 409,665 households, ranking 8th of 62 New York counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Erie County growing?
The population has fallen 0.38 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 9,105 births against 9,673 deaths, with net migration of 2,757. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Erie County?
$72,839. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $233,800, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,090 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Erie County?
22,497 establishments, employing 418,202 people with an annual payroll of $24.67 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Erie County?
Average annual pay is $66,971, or $1,288 a week, across 466,138 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Erie County?
1,222 7(a) approvals totalling $335.6 m since FY2020, across 61 lenders, with a median approval of $90,000, plus 224 504 approvals worth $130.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Erie County get paid back?
Of the 207 loans that have reached a final outcome, 188 were paid in full and 19 charged off, a charge off rate of 9.2 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Erie County?
1,208 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $361.5 m. Multifamily was 51.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Erie County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Erie County come from?
The largest single origin is Erie County Non-migrants, with 379,647 households. Arriving households report an average income of $66,766 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Erie County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Erie County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.