City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 2.9% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $102,900 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, 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 Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Buffalo, NY to Houston, TX ($111,301 → $122,749), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.2% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,906 in Houston | $97,176 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,323/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
60 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Houston, TX | Real change, Buffalo → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $71,181 | +7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $86,123 | +7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $103,225 | +7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $122,749 | +7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $145,052 | +7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $64,500 | $62,679 (−18.1%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $129,440 | $125,785 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $85,090 | $82,687 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $99,830 | $97,011 (−2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.