City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Hartford, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 7.2% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $107,200 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $935 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.9% moving from Buffalo, NY to Hartford, CT ($111,301 → $120,094), while prices change by +7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Hartford, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 102.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,201 in Hartford | $93,282 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,477/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $59,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 110.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 144.9 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 102.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$935/yr.
48 Fair offer
Hartford, CT → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$935/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Hartford, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Hartford, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Hartford, CT | Real change, Buffalo → Hartford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $69,642 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $84,260 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $100,992 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $120,094 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $141,915 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Hartford, CT | Hartford pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $79,800 | $74,439 (−2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $132,520 | $123,618 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $95,940 | $89,495 (+9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $101,470 | $94,654 (−4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.