Buffalo, NY vs Lancaster, NY

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricBuffalo, NYLancaster, NY
Population276,85410,113
Median Household Income$50,041$66,148
Median Rent$1,046/mo$969/mo
Median Home Value$164,200$202,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)9696
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income49.3%51%
Poverty Rate26%6.7%
Unemployment Rate4.9%4% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k72946
Property Crime Rate /100k3,4491,082
Median AQI4444
Good AQI Days /yr233233
Summer Highs78°F78°F
Winter Lows21°F21°F
Snowfall95 in/yr95 in/yr
Avg Commute19.9 min18.9 min
Hospitals7—
Avg Hospital Rating3.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher10.511.3
College Degree Rate31.2%26.6%
Foreign-Born %10.9%0.6%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.3%-1.7%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.