City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 11.3% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $111,300 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, 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 +6.0% moving from Buffalo, NY to Sacramento, CA ($111,301 → $117,984), while prices change by +11.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,295 in Sacramento | $89,851 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,832/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.1%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; 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; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Buffalo → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $68,419 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $82,780 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $99,218 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $117,984 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $139,422 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $103,390 | $92,897 (+21.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $139,640 | $125,468 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $92,110 | $82,762 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $171,460 | $154,058 (+55.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.