The Town Files

Salamanca, New York

City in Cattaraugus County · population 5,929 (2020 Census)

Map: where Salamanca is in New YorkSalamanca
Median home
$80,900
Household income
$41,667
Jan low / Jul high
13° / 82°
Snow a year
96 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
11
Median age
38.8

Salamanca is a city of 5,929 people in Cattaraugus County, New York. The median home is worth $80,900, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks better for cycling than 88% of New York towns, hipper than 79% of New York towns, better for first-time buyers than 77% of New York towns.

Salamanca in our rankings:

How Salamanca 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.

Salamanca lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement11th pctFamilies3rd pctQuiet27th pctWalkability64th pctFirst-time buyers77th pctYoung professionals50th pctVibrancy60th pctHip & trendy79th pctCollege town19th pctUpscalebottomVacation homes69th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling88th pctTransit71st pctDriving33rd 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 Salamanca is worth $80,900, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $41,667, which is more affordable than 88% of New York towns. Median rent is $688 a month. 54.7% of households own their home.

Salamanca vs Cattaraugus County vs typical New York townSalamancaCattaraugus CountyTypical New York townHome value$80,900$113,100$217,700Household income$41,667$59,540$80,740Monthly rent$688$770$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingSalamancaTypical New York town
Median home value$80,900$217,700
Median rent$688$1,080
Median household income$41,667$80,740
Home value ÷ income1.9×2.8×
Homeownership54.7%79.5%
Median year built19381965
Seasonal / vacation homes1.0%—

Who lives in Salamanca

PeopleSalamancaTypical New York town
Median age38.843.5
Age 65 and over16.4%20.4%
Under 1826.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher15.7%30.4%
Below the poverty line24.4%9.3%
Veterans8.8%—
Born outside the U.S.1.1%—
Work from home4.1%11.1%
Average commute17.6 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband84.5%91.1%

Weather in Salamanca

July highs average 81.8°F and January lows 13.1°F. About 47.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 95.7 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 180 nights at or below freezing.

Salamanca monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°13°Jan35°12°Feb44°20°Mar57°31°Apr69°42°May78°50°Jun82°54°Jul80°52°Aug74°46°Sep61°35°Oct48°27°Nov37°19°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.522.82.615.73.117.93.83.83.84.94.94.34.34.40.33.611.43.823.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Salamanca 2 station (0.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Salamanca since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 20, 1969 about 7.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 9, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Salamanca by decade01950s41960s01970s11980s01990s22000s32010s12020s
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 9 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 29, 1998.

Severe weather in Cattaraugus County since 1996

Storm events in Cattaraugus County since 1996 by typeHail45Flood21Tornado9High Wind45Heavy Rain13Heavy Snow85Flash Flood85Frost/Freeze25
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cattaraugus County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Cattaraugus County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
November 20, 2022Winter StormEM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19
December 22, 2014SnowstormDR-4204: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding
July 8, 2014Severe StormDR-4180: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Cattaraugus County

Cattaraugus County had 27,671 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,047 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Salamanca itself the ACS puts it at 8.6%.

Largest industries in Cattaraugus CountyRetail3,381 jobs · $37,572Hotels & restaurants2,797 jobs · $25,443Manufacturing2,514 jobs · $78,337Administrative & support1,081 jobs · $79,037Other services847 jobs · $35,402Construction758 jobs · $73,047
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cattaraugus County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Cattaraugus 4.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Salamanca

3 public schools with 1,307 students, about 8.4 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
SALAMANCA HIGH SCHOOL8-125089.6
PROSPECT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPK-34158.3
SENECA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL3-73847.4

Towns near Salamanca

Salamanca questions

Is Salamanca, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Salamanca scores better for retirees than 11% of New York towns and quieter than 27%. 16.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.8).

How much does a house cost in Salamanca?

The median owner-occupied home in Salamanca is valued at $80,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $41,667, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $688 a month.

What is the weather like in Salamanca?

July highs average 81.8°F and January lows 13.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.2 inches of precipitation a year and 95.7 inches of snow.

Does Salamanca get tornadoes?

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Salamanca since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 20, 1969. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Salamanca's Census boundary (GEOID 3664749). 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.