The Town Files

Newstead, New York

Town in Erie County · population 8,689 (2020 Census)

Map: where Newstead is in New YorkNewstead
Median home
$235,500
Household income
$71,200
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 80°
Snow a year
90 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
52.0

Newstead is a town of 8,689 people in Erie County, New York. The median home is worth $235,500, above the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks better for cycling than 83% of New York towns, better for retirees than 77% of New York towns, better for families than 74% of New York towns.

How Newstead 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.

Newstead lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement77th pctFamilies74th pctQuiet55th pctWalkability42nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals53rd pctVibrancy51st pctHip & trendy50th pctCollege town58th pctUpscale58th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling83rd pctTransit64th pctDriving74th 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 Newstead is worth $235,500, above the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $71,200, which is more affordable than 38% of New York towns. Median rent is $772 a month. 79.7% of households own their home.

Newstead vs Erie County vs typical New York townNewsteadErie CountyTypical New York townHome value$235,500$233,800$217,700Household income$71,200$72,839$80,740Monthly rent$772$1,090$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingNewsteadTypical New York town
Median home value$235,500$217,700
Median rent$772$1,080
Median household income$71,200$80,740
Home value ÷ income3.3×2.8×
Homeownership79.7%79.5%
Median year built19781965
Seasonal / vacation homes3.2%—

Who lives in Newstead

PeopleNewsteadTypical New York town
Median age52.043.5
Age 65 and over24.9%20.4%
Under 1818.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher29.7%30.4%
Below the poverty line6.6%9.3%
Veterans6.8%—
Born outside the U.S.2.4%—
Work from home14.1%11.1%
Average commute24.4 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband87.8%91.1%

Weather in Newstead

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 90.3 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.

Newstead 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 blue3.426.22.518.12.913.83.42.63.43.43.23.24.14.00.63.57.33.821.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Buffalo station (11.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Newstead since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 23, 1971 about 8.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 9, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Newstead by decade01950s01960s21970s01980s11990s12000s02010s12020s
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 12 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 18, 1997.

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 Newstead itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.

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 Newstead

Newstead questions

Is Newstead, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Newstead scores better for retirees than 77% of New York towns and quieter than 55%. 24.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.0).

How much does a house cost in Newstead?

The median owner-occupied home in Newstead is valued at $235,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $71,200, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is $772 a month.

What is the weather like in Newstead?

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 90.3 inches of snow.

Does Newstead get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Newstead since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 23, 1971. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Newstead's Census boundary (GEOID 3602950716). 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.