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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 2024-25
Total enrollment
122,519
-4,080 (-3%) vs SY 2017-18
School 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
White
74%
Hispanic
6%
Black
13%
Asian
5%
Two or more
6%
Native American
0%
Pacific Islander
0%
School enrollment
White
55%
Hispanic
11%
Black
19%
Asian
9%
Two or more
5%
Native American
1%
Pacific Islander
0%
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%.

See all 202 schools in Erie County ranked by score →

All schools (226)

LargestA-ZTop rated
NameCityLevelGradesEnrollmentRating
A J SCHMIDT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLAngolaElementaryKG-05247·
NORTH COLLINS JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLNorth CollinsHigh07-12234·
MARILLA PRIMARY SCHOOLMarillaElementaryPK-03221·
PRIMARY HALL PREPARATORY CHARTER SCHOOLBuffaloElementaryPK-04220·
HOLLAND MIDDLE SCHOOLHollandMiddle05-08218·
HOLLAND HIGH SCHOOLHollandHigh09-12216·
COLDEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLColdenElementaryPK-05213·
BOSTON VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLHamburgElementaryKG-05212·
WALES PRIMARY SCHOOLEast AuroraElementaryPK-03185·
KENMORE JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLKenmoreHigh07-12180·
PS 90BuffaloElementaryPK-02179·
BUFFALO CREEK ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOLBuffaloMiddle05-08176·
RESEARCH LABORATORY HS-BIOINFORMATICBuffaloHigh09-12174·
PS 84BuffaloCombinedKG-12151·
BUFFALO COMMONS CHARTER SCHOOLBuffaloElementaryKG-03114·
PATHWAYS ACADEMYBuffaloHigh09-12110·
RANDOLPH ACADEMYHAMBURG CAMPUSHamburgCombined02-1273·
BRICK BUFFALO ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOLBuffaloElementaryKG-0272·
ACADEMY SCHOOLBuffaloHigh09-1270·
PS 42 OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING CENTERBuffaloHighUG-UG69·
WESTERN PSYCHIATRIC CENTERWest SenecaCombined02-1234·
ERIE COUNTY DETENTION FACILITYBuffaloHigh09-1213·
BUFFALO COLLEGIATE CHARTER SCHOOLBuffaloCombinedM-M··
ERIE COUNTY HOLDING CENTERBuffaloElementaryM-M··
MULLEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLTonawandaCombinedM-M··
RIVERVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOLTonawandaCombinedM-M··

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

How many K-12 schools serve Erie County?
There are 226 public K-12 schools in Erie County, New York, with a combined enrollment of about 122,519.
How many high schools are in Erie County?
Erie County, New York has 56 public high schools, serving approximately 36,734 students.
How many middle schools are in Erie County?
Erie County, New York has 32 public middle schools, serving approximately 19,587 students.
How many elementary schools are in Erie County?
Erie County, New York has 124 public elementary schools, serving approximately 58,173 students.
What is the largest school district in Erie County?
BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest school district in Erie County, serving approximately 29,425 students. The county contains 56 school districts overall.
What is the population of Erie County?
Erie County, New York has a population of approximately 950,622, with a median age of 40. About 20.1% of residents are under 18.
What is the median household income in Erie County?
Median household income in Erie County is $72,839, below the New York average of $77,785. About 9.2% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
How educated are residents of Erie County?
Approximately 38.0% of adults 25 and older in Erie County hold a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What share of students in Erie County qualify for free or reduced lunch?
Roughly 51.1% of students in Erie County public schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common proxy for low-income enrollment. This is higher than the New York county average of 48.7%.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Erie County schools?
Across Erie County public schools, the enrollment-weighted student-teacher ratio is approximately 11.1 to 1.

Erie County school rankings

Largest schoolsAll rankings →
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data