City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 9.1% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $109,100 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $935 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.7% moving from Buffalo, NY to New Haven, CT ($111,301 → $125,431), while prices change by +9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,093 in New Haven | $91,665 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,591/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% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$935/yr.
42 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$935/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | New Haven, CT | Real change, Buffalo → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $72,737 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $88,005 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $105,481 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $125,431 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $148,222 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $79,820 | $73,167 (−4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $133,040 | $121,951 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $94,960 | $87,045 (+6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $104,490 | $95,781 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.