City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 1.8% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $101,800 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $473 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Hagerstown, MD ($111,301 → $121,785), while prices change by −1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.4% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,254 in Hagerstown | $101,777 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Hagerstown, MD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$473/yr.
74 Strong offer
Hagerstown, MD → Buffalo, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$473/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Buffalo → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $70,623 | +11.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $85,447 | +11.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $102,415 | +11.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $121,785 | +11.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $143,913 | +11.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $63,190 | $64,313 (−15.9%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $122,830 | $125,012 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $75,250 | $76,587 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $92,770 | $94,418 (−4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.