City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Buffalo, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 5.6% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $105,600 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,246 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Buffalo, NY ($106,437 → $111,301), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Buffalo, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 95.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,578 in Buffalo | $94,716 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,139/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $50,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 81.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 129.5 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 95.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,246/yr.
52 Fair offer
Buffalo, NY → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,246/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Buffalo, NY is in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Buffalo, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Buffalo, NY | Real change, Baton Rouge → Buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,543 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,091 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,598 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,301 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,525 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Buffalo, NY | Buffalo pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $76,490 | $72,449 (+22.2%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $127,850 | $121,095 (+18.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $82,120 | $77,781 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $99,060 | $93,826 (+15.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.