Moving to
Town of Tonawanda.

All Town of Tonawanda data Compare Town of Tonawanda

56,806people live here $77,679median household incomeNear US average $1,102median rent per month▼ 22% below US $215,200median home value▼ 35% below US

Town of Tonawanda is an unincorporated community in Erie County, NY. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Town of Tonawanda

Town of Tonawanda is a large unincorporated community in New York with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Town of Tonawanda deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, heavy snowfall, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.

The good

Rent below the national average
Affordable home prices
Low crime rates
Short commutes
Highly educated workforce
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Air quality concerns
Cold winters
Heavy snowfall — 80" per year
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Town of Tonawanda compares

Median household income

Town of Tonawanda$77,679

New York avg$85,974

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Town of Tonawanda$1,102

New York avg$1,621

US$1,413

Median home value

Town of Tonawanda$215,200

New York avg$423,800

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Town of Tonawanda

Based on Town of Tonawanda's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,204

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,080 a year
48% of Town of Tonawanda renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$43,040

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $21,520
Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▼ 22% below US

$1,102/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,102 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $215,200. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.

Median home value $215,200 · 48% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

4.0% county unemployment

Unemployment in Erie County is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Erie County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 57% below US

140 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 1839/100k · Tonawanda Town Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 18% below US

21 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.3 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

72%

Work from home

14%

Carpool

9.9%

Public transit

1.7%

Other

1.5%

Walk

1.2%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforceNear US average

39% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

10 public schools inside the boundary

There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site (6 miles away).

Bottom line

Town of Tonawanda's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,102/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

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