City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Buffalo, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 2.7% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $102,700 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $668 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Boise City, ID to Buffalo, NY ($106,437 → $111,301), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.3% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boise City, ID | Buffalo, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 95.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,411 in Buffalo | $102,657 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,139/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $50,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 81.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 129.5 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 95.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$668/yr.
77 Strong offer
Buffalo, NY → Boise City, ID
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$668/yr.
61 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Buffalo, NY is in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Buffalo, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Buffalo, NY | Real change, Boise City → Buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,543 | +7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,091 | +7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,598 | +7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,301 | +7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,525 | +7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Buffalo, NY | Buffalo pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $106,020 | $116,290 | $119,380 (+12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $127,850 | $131,248 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $82,120 | $84,302 (+9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $99,060 | $101,692 (+3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.