City comparison
Austin, TX vs Buffalo, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 2.3% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $102,300 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.7% moving from Austin, TX to Buffalo, NY ($109,428 → $111,301), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.1% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Buffalo, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 95.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,734 in Buffalo | $102,318 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,139/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $50,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 81.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 129.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 95.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
76 Strong offer
Buffalo, NY → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Buffalo, NY is in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Buffalo, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Buffalo, NY | Real change, Austin → Buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $64,543 | +4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $78,091 | +4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $93,598 | +4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $111,301 | +4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $131,525 | +4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Buffalo, NY | Buffalo pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $76,490 | $78,263 (+27.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $127,850 | $130,814 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $82,120 | $84,024 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $99,060 | $101,357 (+3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.