Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Cheektowaga grades C− overall, ranked 631st of 745 in New York, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 85% of U.S. towns. On the other side, its public schools trail 89% of New York towns on state tests and graduation. Cheektowaga’s property crime rate is 31.8 per 1,000 residents, where New York’s towns sit at 7.5 and U.S. towns at 9.9. Only 24 of New York’s 274 towns score lower on safety. Cheektowaga's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns.
Where Cheektowaga beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Cheektowaga is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,137 in 1840, 89,877 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1866 and 4 maps from 1901 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cheektowaga. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi WaterfallNiagara Falls
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaHighmark Stadium
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaRalph Wilson Stadium
7 mi Stadium & arenaKeyBank Center
7 mi MuseumUSS The Sullivans
7 mi Stadium & arenaSahlen FieldNiagara Falls: Robert F. Tobler, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Highmark Stadium: James161723, CC0 · Ralph Wilson Stadium: User Evilarry on en.wikipedia, Public domain · KeyBank Center: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS The Sullivans: Unknown, Public domain · Sahlen Field: Quintinsoloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cheektowaga, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Cheektowaga.
Cheektowaga gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Buffalo and other neighbors.
Three of its 20 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union East Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 963 | D |
| Cheektowaga High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 682 | A− |
| Maryvale High SchoolTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 660 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Property crime runs at 31.8 per 1,000 residents, about twice the New York rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 3,151 to 2,685 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Cheektowaga’s violent crime rate is 2.2 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
14 miles of trail in 20 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Stiglmeier Park, 275 acres with 5 miles of trail.
| Cheektowaga | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.1% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Stiglmeier Park | 5 mi | 275 |
| 2. Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve And Environmental Education Center | 4.7 mi | 287 |
| 3. Cheektowaga Town Park | 2 mi | 70 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Buffalo weather station records that 95 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Cheektowaga has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Cheektowaga is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Cheektowaga has about as many jobs (44,850) as working residents, but only 6,706 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 20.4 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Cheektowaga for work: only 16% work in town. The top destinations are Buffalo (25%), Amherst (16%) and Lancaster (6%).
| Cheektowaga | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 10,461 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cheektowaga’s, it is healthier than 79%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Cheektowaga beats the New York average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 83% of adults had a checkup this year in Cheektowaga.
| Cheektowaga | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 37% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Cheektowaga | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 15% | 17.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.4% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 127 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cheektowaga.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
10 within 15 miles of the center of Cheektowaga
About 8 of every 100 Cheektowaga residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
4 places in Cheektowaga on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Cheektowaga.
Town in New York, United States
Cheektowaga ( CHEEK-tə-WAH-gə; Seneca: Chictawauga) is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town has grown to a population of 89,877. The town is in the north-central part of the county, and is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. The town is the second-largest suburb of Buffalo, after the Town of Amherst. The town of Cheektowaga contains the village of Sloan and half of the village of Depew. The remainder, outside the villages, is a census-designated place also named Cheektowaga. The town is home to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Erie County's principal airport. Villa Maria College, Empire State University, and the Walden Galleria are in Cheektowag…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Cheektowaga.
Amherst next door grades higher for schools (A− to Cheektowaga’s D) and lower for cost of living (D to C+).
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheektowaga | #631 | C− | C+ | D | D | B |
| West Seneca | #358 | B− | C | C+ | B | A− |
| Amherst | #270 | B+ | D | C | A− | A |
| Buffalo | #722 | D− | B | D− | D | C− |
| Sloan | #544 | C | C+ | — | C− | C+ |
| Lancaster | #89 | A | C | B+ | A− | A |
| Williamsville | #38 | A+ | C− | — | A | A |
Sloan and Williamsville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Cheektowaga with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cheektowaga grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #631 of 745 in New York. It grades B for health, D for safety and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
The typical home is worth about $185,000, 65% below the New York typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
5 notable people were born here, including Chelsea Noble and Ted Smith.
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