City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 1.2% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $101,200 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- Both are in NY, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,860 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.7% moving from Buffalo, NY to Rochester, NY ($111,301 → $107,182), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.9% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,243 in Rochester | $98,773 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Rochester, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
65 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Buffalo, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Rochester, NY | Real change, Buffalo → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $62,155 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $75,202 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $90,135 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $107,182 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $126,657 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $62,840 | $62,069 (−18.9%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $122,770 | $121,263 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $80,890 | $79,897 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $86,570 | $85,507 (−13.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.