Metropolitan statistical area

Buffalo-Cheektowaga

NY  · 1.16M residents  · CBSA 15380

Total wealth · absolute mobility
38th percentile nationally

Higher is better.

County-by-county total wealth on absolute mobility. Color shows each county's position on the national distribution (how to read the map).

The five lenses at a glance

Each row shows where Buffalo-Cheektowaga sits on the national distribution for one economic concept across all three mobility measures.

Total income

All income a person receives, including wages and transfers.

  • α Absolute mobility 38th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 38th percentile
    this county national median

    31.71 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.

  • β Persistence 80th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 80th percentile
    this county national median

    0.37 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.

  • δ Extensive margin 49th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 49th percentile
    this county national median

    The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

Labor income

Income earned from work (wages and salaries).

  • α Absolute mobility 45th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 45th percentile
    this county national median

    36.66 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.

  • β Persistence 77th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 77th percentile
    this county national median

    0.36 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.

  • δ Extensive margin 86th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 86th percentile
    this county national median

    11.66 — The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

Homeownership

The probability of owning a home (the extensive margin of housing wealth).

  • α Absolute mobility 38th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 38th percentile
    this county national median

    58.06 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.

  • β Persistence 86th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 86th percentile
    this county national median

    0.48 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.

  • δ Extensive margin 4th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 4th percentile
    this county national median

    -15.52 — The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

Housing wealth

The value of housing assets a person holds.

  • α Absolute mobility 59th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 59th percentile
    this county national median

    38.73 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.

  • β Persistence 82nd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 82th percentile
    this county national median

    0.38 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.

  • δ Extensive margin 2nd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 2th percentile
    this county national median

    -4.67 — The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

Total wealth

The total value of all assets a person holds.

  • α Absolute mobility 37th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 37th percentile
    this county national median

    38.58 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.

  • β Persistence 91st percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 91th percentile
    this county national median

    0.38 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.

  • δ Extensive margin 64th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 64th percentile
    this county national median

    4.48 — The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

Constituent counties (2)

Raw α / β / δ values for total wealth across each county in the metro.

CountyStateα (absolute mobility)β (persistence)δ (extensive margin)n
ErieNY38.550.3865.158900
NiagaraNY38.690.3362.072500

About the data

These estimates are small-area (Fay–Herriot) county-level mobility statistics from the working paper Lands of Opportunity (Binder, Risch & Voorheis 2026, NBER WP 35219). Metro values shown here are population-weighted means of constituent county estimates. See the methodology page for a full description, and the user guide for how to navigate the explorer.