About this project
The Allegany County Housing Market Assessment and Development Strategy provides a comprehensive analysis of housing challenges and opportunities across the county and its constituent communities.
This study analyzes demographic trends; assesses housing stock, availability, and development patterns across the region; identifies gaps in housing supply by unit type and income affordability; analyzes linkages between housing, jobs, and workforce needs; identifies places that are ready for housing growth, and evaluates existing barriers to housing production and access.
This project is led by the Allegany County Department of Planning and consultants CommunityScale. Work spanned spring 2026, with focus group meetings and other public events in March 2026. The study was published in June 2026.
The purpose of this dashboard is to track how trends have progressed since then. Data will be updated as it becomes availble.
Due to margins of error in Census estimates, smaller towns are not featured on this dashboard. The County's larger towns, outlined in the map above, are clickable and lead to an abbreviated town dashboard.
How is the job market changing?
Total job counts over time show how employment opportunities are growing or shrinking in a community. Comparing across geographies reveals which areas are attracting the most new employment.
Jobs grouped into four broad sector categories show the economic composition of a community. Comparing across geographies reveals differences in local economic specialization.
Wage ranges for common occupations show how local pay compares across sectors. Bars show the 25th to 75th percentile annual salary range, with the median marked.
Job counts are derived from the LEHD LODES Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) dataset published by the US Census Bureau.
How is the population changing?
- Census Population Estimates Program (PEP) · 2010–2025
- ACS 5-year estimates · B01001 · 2010–2024
- CommunityScale population projection model
Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.
Population change since a baseline year, broken out by age group. Each line shows the net gain or loss for one cohort, revealing which groups are driving growth or decline.
The share of households with children indicates family housing demand, while the share with people over 65 reflects the growing need for senior-friendly and accessible housing options.
Historical population comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP): counties directly from PEP's annual estimates by age, and municipalities from PEP sub-county totals with age detail from the American Community Survey (ACS). Projections use CommunityScale's PEP-anchored cohort-migration forecast model.
The model follows each five-year age cohort through the community's 2010–2024 population history and projects those cohort trends forward, launching from the most recent PEP estimate (2025). Group-quarters residents — college dorms, prisons, military barracks, nursing facilities — do not follow household demographics, so they are separated out, projected on their own trend, and added back. In small communities, where year-to-year cohort data is noisy, the model blends each cohort's trend toward the community's recent overall trend to keep projections stable.
Who is entering and leaving the workforce?
The share of people aged 25-34 indicates the pipeline of workers entering the labor force, while the share aged 65+ shows the pace of retirement. Comparing these trends reveals whether communities face a tightening or expanding labor supply.
Historical population comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP), with age detail from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates for municipalities. Projections use CommunityScale's PEP-anchored cohort-migration forecast model, which projects each age cohort's 2010–2024 trend forward from the most recent PEP estimate.
How affordable is this community?
- ACS 5-year estimates · B19013, B25082, B25090 · 2010–2024
- Zillow ZHVI
- FRED 30-year fixed mortgage rate
- Insurance premium rates (CommunityScale)
This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.
| Geography | Home Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical | Affordable to median | Gap / Surplus | |
| Allegany County, NY | $140,650 | $233,257 | +$92,606 |
| Amity, NY | $135,088 | $230,675 | +$95,587 |
| Wellsville, NY | $129,230 | $208,832 | +$79,601 |
| Alfred, NY | $200,871 | $189,023 | -$11,848 |
| Cuba, NY | $164,149 | $290,950 | +$126,801 |
| Bolivar, NY | $109,314 | $200,514 | +$91,201 |
| Hume, NY | $153,543 | $323,342 | +$169,798 |
| Clarksville, NY | $164,149 | $171,483 | +$7,334 |
| Almond, NY | $161,485 | $294,992 | +$133,507 |
Enter your household income and adjust assumptions to see what you could afford to buy in this community, compared to typical local prices. The calculator defaults to the current local median income, mortgage rate, and other financial assumptions factored into the housing affordability chart above.
How are households changing by income?
- ACS 5-year estimates · B25007, B01001, B19001, B19113 · 2010–2024
- HUD Income Limits · FY 2025
- BLS CPI-U · 2010–2024
- Census PUMS 5-year · 2019–2023
Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.
| AMI Group | Income Range | Households |
|---|---|---|
| <30% AMI | <$26K | 3,749 |
| 30-50% AMI | $26K - $43K | 2,476 |
| 50-80% AMI | $43K - $69K | 3,536 |
| 80-100% AMI | $69K - $87K | 2,010 |
| 100-120% AMI | $87K - $104K | 1,727 |
| >120% AMI | >$104K | 4,219 |
Household change since a baseline year, broken out by income group. Each line shows the net gain or loss for one income bracket, revealing which groups are driving household growth or decline.
How are household types changing?
- ACS 5-year estimates · B09021, B11015, B19131 · 2010–2024
This chart shows how household composition has changed over time, comparing the distribution of household types between 2015 and 2023. Changes in household types can indicate shifting demographics and evolving housing needs in a community.
Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.
Cost burden measures the share of household income spent on housing. Households paying more than 30% are considered cost burdened, while those paying more than 50% are severely cost burdened. Lower-income households typically face the highest rates of cost burden.
Household type data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. Household types include family households (married couples, single parents) and non-family households (people living alone, unrelated roommates).
When was the housing built?
The age of the housing stock reveals construction booms, periods of stagnation, and how much of the community's housing predates modern building codes. The most recent decade uses building permit data for a more current picture of construction activity.
Historical decades use the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, table B25034 (Year Structure Built). The 2020s decade uses the US Census Building Permit Survey for a more accurate and up-to-date count of recent construction.
How much new housing is being permitted?
Annual building permits reflect the pipeline of new housing construction. Single family permits show detached home building activity, while multifamily permits (units in buildings with 2+ units) indicate apartment and townhome development. Together they reveal how a community's housing supply is growing and what types of housing are being added.
Cumulative change in jobs, households, and building permits since 2010 reveals whether housing construction is keeping pace with employment and population growth.
Building permit data comes from the US Census Building Permit Survey, 2010-2024. Permits are reported by county and by permit-issuing place.
What does the housing stock look like?
The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.
This chart shows rental and homeowner vacancy rates over time. A healthy rental vacancy rate is around 7.5%, and a healthy homeowner vacancy rate is around 1.5%. Rates well below these thresholds suggest a tight housing market with limited options for people looking to move.
How much new housing supply is needed?
- ACS 5-year estimates · B25001, B25004, B25016, B25024, B25042, B25053 · 2020–2024
- HUD Income Limits · FY 2025
- Census PUMS 5-year · 2020–2024
To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Allegany County, NY needs 491 new units over the next 5 years.
| 491 |
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
|
| 235 |
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 2.0 per 1,000 units.
|
| 101 |
Ownership vacancy adjustment
Owner-occupied vacancy is 0.8%. This is below the minimum stable target of 1.5%.
|
| 41 |
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 6.4%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
|
| 114 |
Substandard housing adjustment
Substandard housing rate is 1.63%. This is above National avg. of 0.98%.
|
| 491 |
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
|
| 98 |
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
|
| 2.1% |
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
|
| 0.4% |
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year
|