Erie County, NY

Across the selected direct-evidence ZIP/ZCTA matches, Zillow’s ZORI—a typical observed asking-rent index—runs from $1,233 in 14215 to $2,167 in 14221, a $934 spread, with a $1,361.50 median. That selected median sits below Erie County’s $1,498 county ZORI, but the internal range is the more practical starting point for a search or program screen. The lowest and highest readings are useful bookends, not a promise that every listing will cluster near either one. A countywide figure cannot settle a bedroom, lease, or utility budget. The decision is not simply whether rent is high countywide: separate current typical asking-rent position from reported burden and measured vacancy, then test the actual unit’s terms.

Price comparisons need parallel tracks, not a blended benchmark. The ACS five-year survey’s ZCTA median gross rents run from $964 to $1,603 among the selected observations, while the county ACS figure is $1,090; these estimates are not ZORI asking rents. HUD’s administrative two-bedroom FMR spans $1,160 to $1,820. Direct ZORI represents 88.2% to 119.1% of that local standard across the selection. This gap is useful for a standard-versus-market screen, but neither series establishes a property’s contract rent, and only HUD’s standard is bedroom-specific. ZORI, ACS, and FMR should remain separate in any table, filter, or affordability discussion.

Burden and vacancy add a second trade-off. In ACS ZCTAs, the share of renter households paying at least 30% of income toward rent ranges from 41.7% to 55.7%, while vacancy ranges from 2.7% to 18.9%. The high-vacancy observation, 14213, still has a 50.3% burden share, so greater measured vacancy does not automatically signal lower reported burden. A mechanical ZORI screen using that threshold puts the annual income required for 14215 at $49,320, versus $44,955 in area median household income; for 14221 it is $86,680 versus $101,615. These comparisons are screens, not estimates of any household’s affordability.

Coverage and geography constrain every comparison. The display contains 12 direct-evidence ZIP/ZCTA matches covering 68,248 renter households, selected from 29 eligible matches, rather than a complete county inventory. County display assignment follows the largest HUD residential-address share, but a ZIP can cross county lines and a Census ZCTA is not the same as a USPS delivery ZIP. The selection ordering reflects renter-household coverage and direct match eligibility, not a ranking of locations or an assessment of the full housing stock. Before acting, confirm the address, active contract rent, bedroom count, utilities, concessions, deposits, lease term, occupancy date, and any income or program eligibility directly with the property.