City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 10.2% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $110,200 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.3% moving from Buffalo, NY to Manchester, NH ($111,301 → $120,548), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,239 in Manchester | $90,712 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
40 Weak offer
Manchester, NH → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Manchester, NH | Real change, Buffalo → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $69,905 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $84,579 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $101,375 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $120,548 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $142,452 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $73,380 | $66,565 (−13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $162,090 | $147,036 (+15.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $83,660 | $75,890 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $98,600 | $89,442 (−9.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.