City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs El Paso, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 6.6% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $106,600 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to El Paso, TX ($111,301 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.9% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | El Paso, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 89.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,811 in El Paso | $106,598 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,013/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% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $39,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and El Paso, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | El Paso |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 71.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 82.6 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 89.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
89 Strong offer
El Paso, TX → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; El Paso, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to El Paso, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | El Paso, TX | Real change, Buffalo → El Paso |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $61,722 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $74,678 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $89,508 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $106,437 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $125,776 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | El Paso, TX | El Paso pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $63,800 | $68,009 (−11.1%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $127,310 | $135,709 (+6.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $65,990 | $70,344 (−14.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $86,100 | $91,781 (−7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.