City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Buffalo, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 11.5% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $111,500 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Brownsville, TX to Buffalo, NY ($106,437 → $111,301), while prices change by +11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.2% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Brownsville, TX | Buffalo, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 95.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,479 in Buffalo | $89,703 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,139/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $50,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 81.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 129.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 95.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
38 Weak offer
Buffalo, NY → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX to Buffalo, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Buffalo, NY | Real change, Brownsville → Buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,543 | −6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,091 | −6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,598 | −6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,301 | −6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,525 | −6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Buffalo, NY | Buffalo pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $76,490 | $68,614 (+8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $127,850 | $114,685 (+7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $82,120 | $73,664 (+10.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $99,060 | $88,860 (+9.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.