City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 7.6% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $107,600 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.0% moving from Buffalo, NY to Dallas, TX ($111,301 → $115,711), while prices change by +7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.3% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,560 in Dallas | $92,971 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
47 Fair offer
Dallas, TX → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Dallas, TX | Real change, Buffalo → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $67,100 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $81,186 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $97,307 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $115,711 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $136,736 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $65,070 | $60,496 (−20.9%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $133,290 | $123,921 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $82,620 | $76,813 (−6.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $101,420 | $94,291 (−4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.