City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 12.5% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $112,500 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, 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 +19.5% moving from Buffalo, NY to Santa Rosa, CA ($111,301 → $133,060), while prices change by +12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.3% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,458 in Santa Rosa | $88,922 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $2,155/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% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; 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; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Buffalo → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $77,161 | +6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $93,358 | +6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $111,896 | +6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $133,060 | +6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $157,236 | +6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $99,060 | $88,086 (+15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $148,630 | $132,165 (+3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $94,690 | $84,201 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $174,550 | $155,214 (+56.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.