City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ogden, UT are 4.7% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $104,700 in Ogden, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,281 a month in Ogden, UT versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Ogden, UT and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,326 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Ogden, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Ogden, UT ($111,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,700 in Ogden | $95,511 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,281/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Ogden, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,326/yr.
55 Fair offer
Ogden, UT → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,326/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Ogden, UT | Real change, Buffalo → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $61,722 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $74,678 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $89,508 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $106,437 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $125,776 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $63,910 | $61,041 (−20.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $109,880 | $104,947 (−17.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $82,010 | $78,328 (−4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $81,840 | $78,166 (−21.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.