The Town Files

Clarence, New York

Community in Erie County · population 2,733 (2020 Census)

Map: where Clarence is in New YorkClarence
Median home
$338,800
Household income
$88,269
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 80°
Snow a year
95 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
8
Median age
58.7

Clarence is a community of 2,733 people in Erie County, New York. The median home is worth $338,800, above the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks better for retirees than 98% of New York towns, better for young professionals than 92% of New York towns, better for cycling than 88% of New York towns.

Clarence in our rankings:

How Clarence ranks

Percentile among New York towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New York towns.

Clarence lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement98th pctFamilies26th pctQuiet64th pctWalkability65th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals92nd pctVibrancy56th pctHip & trendy84th pctCollege town30th pctUpscale71st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling88th pctTransit31st pctDriving26th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Clarence is worth $338,800, above the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 3.8 times the median household income of $88,269, which is more affordable than 29% of New York towns. Median rent is $650 a month. 59.0% of households own their home.

Clarence vs Erie County vs typical New York townClarenceErie CountyTypical New York townHome value$338,800$233,800$217,700Household income$88,269$72,839$80,740Monthly rent$650$1,090$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingClarenceTypical New York town
Median home value$338,800$217,700
Median rent$650$1,080
Median household income$88,269$80,740
Home value ÷ income3.8×2.8×
Homeownership59.0%79.5%
Median year built19671965
Seasonal / vacation homes1.6%—

Who lives in Clarence

PeopleClarenceTypical New York town
Median age58.743.5
Age 65 and over38.9%20.4%
Under 1811.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher39.6%30.4%
Below the poverty line9.2%9.3%
Veterans4.4%—
Born outside the U.S.5.3%—
Work from home27.2%11.1%
Average commute22.0 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband82.0%91.1%

Weather in Clarence

July highs average 80.2°F and January lows 19.0°F. About 40.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 95.4 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 124 nights at or below freezing.

Clarence monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°19°Jan33°20°Feb42°26°Mar55°37°Apr67°48°May76°58°Jun80°63°Jul79°62°Aug72°55°Sep60°44°Oct48°34°Nov37°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.426.72.518.12.914.13.42.53.43.43.23.24.14.00.93.57.83.825.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Buffalo station (7.4 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Clarence since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on July 30, 1987 about 9.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 25, 2009.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Clarence by decade11950s11960s21970s11980s11990s22000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 23 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 16, 2008.

Severe weather in Erie County since 1996

Storm events in Erie County since 1996 by typeHail99Flood81Seiche21High Wind158Lightning16Heavy Snow97Flash Flood96Frost/Freeze54
NOAA Storm Events Database, Erie County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 57 deaths recorded.

Erie County has been included in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, other, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 15, 2023SnowstormDR-4694: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
December 26, 2022Winter StormEM-3590: Severe Winter Storm
November 20, 2022Winter StormEM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Erie County

Erie County had 466,138 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $66,971 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Clarence itself the ACS puts it at 1%.

Largest industries in Erie CountyHealth care & social assistan…68,872 jobs · $62,866Retail47,891 jobs · $39,303Manufacturing44,526 jobs · $80,771Hotels & restaurants38,924 jobs · $26,680Administrative & support27,133 jobs · $54,244Professional & technical serv…24,595 jobs · $87,001
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Erie County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Erie 3.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Clarence

Clarence questions

Is Clarence, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Clarence scores better for retirees than 98% of New York towns and quieter than 64%. 38.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 58.7).

How much does a house cost in Clarence?

The median owner-occupied home in Clarence is valued at $338,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $88,269, so homes cost about 3.8 times income. Median rent is $650 a month.

What is the weather like in Clarence?

July highs average 80.2°F and January lows 19.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.7 inches of precipitation a year and 95.4 inches of snow.

Does Clarence get tornadoes?

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Clarence since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on July 30, 1987. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Clarence's Census boundary (GEOID 3615814). Comparisons use the median of New York towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.