Erie County Demographics

A map of Erie County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	687,194	678,236	72.3%	71.1%
Black	115,154	129,874	12.1%	13.6%
Hispanic	60,918	59,658	6.4%	6.3%
Asian	46,439	46,090	4.9%	4.8%
Multiracial	33,514	32,258	3.5%	3.4%
Native American/Other	7,403	8,120	0.8%	0.9%

Erie County, New York has an estimated population of 950,622, a less than 1% change from the 954,236 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 72.3% White, 12.1% Black, 6.4% Hispanic, 4.9% Asian, 3.5% Multiracial, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Erie County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Erie has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than New York overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Erie County, that probability was 46.9% in 2020 and 45.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Erie County is ranked the 8th most populous county in New York, out of 62 counties. Erie County was ranked the 8th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Erie County's White Population

687,194 residents of Erie County, or 72.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Erie County is significantly higher than in New York overall, where 52.8% of the population is White. Erie County ranks 47th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.3%. White residents' share of Erie County's population has increased from 71.1% to 72.3%.

Erie County is less White than neighboring Cattaraugus County (87.7% White), Wyoming County (88.2% White), Niagara County (82.1% White), Genesee County (87.9% White), and Chautauqua County (83.7% White).

Erie County's Black Population

115,154 residents of Erie County, or 12.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Erie County is comparable to the share in New York overall, where 13.4% of the population is Black. Erie County ranks 5th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's Black population has declined by an estimated 11.3%. Black residents' share of Erie County's population has decreased from 13.6% to 12.1%.

Erie County is more Black than neighboring Cattaraugus County (1.4% Black), Wyoming County (3.7% Black), Niagara County (6.3% Black), Genesee County (2.1% Black), and Chautauqua County (2.1% Black).

Erie County's Asian Population

46,439 residents of Erie County, or 4.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Erie County is slightly lower than in New York overall, where 9% of the population is Asian. Erie County ranks 11th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's Asian population has remained roughly the same. Asian residents' share of Erie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.9%.

Erie County is more Asian than neighboring Cattaraugus County (0.9% Asian), Wyoming County (0.5% Asian), Niagara County (1.2% Asian), Genesee County (0.7% Asian), and Chautauqua County (0.7% Asian).

Erie County's Hispanic Population

60,918 residents of Erie County, or 6.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Erie County is considerably lower than in New York overall, where 19.8% of the population is Hispanic. Erie County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 2.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Erie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 6.4%.

Erie County is more Hispanic than neighboring Cattaraugus County (2.4% Hispanic), Wyoming County (3.8% Hispanic), Niagara County (4% Hispanic), and Genesee County (4.8% Hispanic). Erie County is less Hispanic than neighboring Chautauqua County (9.6% Hispanic).

Erie County's Native American/Other Population

7,403 residents of Erie County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Erie County is comparable to the share in New York overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Erie County ranks 21st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 8.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Erie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Erie County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Genesee County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Chautauqua County (0.5% Native American/Other). Erie County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Cattaraugus County (2.7% Native American/Other), Wyoming County (1% Native American/Other), and Niagara County (1% Native American/Other).

Erie County's Multiracial Population

33,514 residents of Erie County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Erie County is comparable to the share in New York overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Erie County ranks 52nd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 3.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Erie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

Erie County is more Multiracial than neighboring Wyoming County (2.8% Multiracial), and Chautauqua County (3.4% Multiracial). Erie County is less Multiracial than neighboring Cattaraugus County (4.9% Multiracial), Niagara County (5.4% Multiracial), and Genesee County (3.9% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.