City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 11.1% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $111,100 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Buffalo, NY to Riverside, CA ($111,301 → $124,085), while prices change by +11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,058 in Riverside | $90,043 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Riverside, CA | Real change, Buffalo → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $71,957 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $87,061 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $104,349 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $124,085 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $146,632 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $98,520 | $88,711 (+16.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $133,270 | $120,001 (−6.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $83,920 | $75,564 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $133,940 | $120,604 (+21.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.