Buffalo Region

The Buffalo Region may refer to a number of perspectives of the Buffalo area including and surrounding the City of Buffalo, NY. These differing perspectives of the Buffalo Region can infer a variety of geographic coverage. We look at living & working, demographics, media coverage, service areas, and government entities.Finally, we consider our place within the concept of Western, NY, and Upstate, NY

Living & Working

The Buffalo Region often means the area where people live and work. Sometimes they are referring to the City of Buffalo and its commuter suburbs, but that often transforms into people working in the suburbs and living in the exurbs. Because of our reliance on the automobile, the growth of the suburbs and exurbs has followed the road system rather than other modes of transportation. In addition, downtown Buffalo is less than 75 miles from downtown Rochester, so the area between the two is a mix of Buffalonians and Rochestarians. The patterns also follow the historical path of the Erie Canal and Route 104.

Commuting by automobile impacts regional definition and growth because the controlling variable is usually commute time versus commute distance. The balance between the capacity of the road network and the volume of traffic has a tendency over time to equalize and impact and control growth.

Demographics

The Buffalo Region can be defined by the Census Bureau's Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area or more broadly by the Buffalo-Niagara Falls CSA. This statistical treatment allows one to look at the defined area in terms of a number of data points.

Media Markets

The Buffalo Region could refer to the areas served by the Buffalo local media - newspapers, radio, and television outlets. Lots of data is gathered and managed by this "media market" definition. The media market definition can push the Buffalo Region across the border into Canada.

Service Areas

The Buffalo Region might also refer to a variety of areas served by various government or nonprofit organizations. These definitions are usually very specific to the servicing unit and can vary from the immediate city area, to the county, to all of Western New York.

Government Entities

We start with Erie, Cattaraugus, and Niagara Counties, as at least connected to Buffalo is some fashion. If we extent out to the east we need to include at least parts of ["Orleans County Orleans] and Genesee Counties to the east.

Where We Belong

Western NY

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Upstate NY

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Discussion

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