Total enrollment
122,519
-4,080 (-3%) vs SY 2017-18
Erie County
New York · Public K-12
Across 226 public schools, Erie County, New York serves roughly 122,519 K-12 students, roughly 1 in 8 residents. That works out to 124 elementary, 32 middle, and 56 high schools.
7-year change in Erie County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
222
+5 (+2%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
55%
was 61%
% Hispanic
11%
was 9%
% Black
19%
was 20%
% Asian
9%
was 5%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
950,622
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
226
56 districts
Enrollment
122,519
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$72,839
Below New York avg
Free/reduced lunch
51.1%
Above New York avg
Elementary
124
58,173 students
Middle
32
19,587 students
High
56
36,734 students
Combined / other
14
8,025 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
29,425 students · 56 districts in Erie County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Erie County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
38.0%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
9.2%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.9%
civilian labor
Median age
40
20.1% under 18
Test scores in Erie County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 202 schools ranked. New York state average: 58.3%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- WILLIAMSVILLE EAST HIGH SCHOOL· 96.0%
- EAST AURORA HIGH SCHOOL· 95.0%
- GRAND ISLAND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL· 95.0%
- HAMBURG HIGH SCHOOL· 95.0%
- LANCASTER HIGH SCHOOL· 95.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- RONALD PEOPLES SCHOOL OF SCHOLARS (THE)· 9.0%
- BILINGUAL CENTER· 12.0%
- D'YOUVILLE-PORTER CAMPUS· 12.0%
- HERMAN BADILLO BILINGUAL ACADEMY· 12.0%
- HIGHGATE HEIGHTS· 12.0%
Cities in Erie County
Buffalo90 schoolsCheektowaga13 schoolsHamburg11 schoolsWest Seneca11 schoolsWilliamsville11 schoolsAmherst9 schoolsTonawanda8 schoolsLancaster6 schoolsOrchard Park6 schoolsAngola5 schoolsGrand Island5 schoolsLackawanna5 schoolsAlden4 schoolsDepew4 schoolsEast Amherst4 schoolsEast Aurora4 schoolsElma4 schoolsAkron3 schoolsClarence3 schoolsEden3 schoolsHolland3 schoolsSpringville3 schoolsNorth Collins2 schoolsBlasdell1 schoolClarence Center1 schoolColden1 schoolDerby1 schoolGowanda1 schoolKenmore1 schoolLake View1 schoolMarilla1 schoolSloan1 school
About Erie County
Erie County is a large New York county of about 950,622 residents, home to 226 public schools and roughly 122,519 students.
Looking at the wider area, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $72,839, about 38% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 9%. That income level is 6% lower than the New York median.
For a sense of the school types, Erie County comprises 124 elementary schools (58,173 students), 32 middle schools (19,587), 56 high schools (36,734), and 14 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Erie County is BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, which alone enrolls about 29,425 students.
Over the past 7-year window. Total public-school enrollment in Erie County has shrank 3% since SY 2017-18, moving from about 126,599 students to 122,519. Over that span, Erie County added 5 schools, going from 217 to 222. The White share of public-school enrollment declined from 61% to 55%.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Erie County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.
Frequently asked questions
Erie County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data