City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Denver, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Denver, CO are 10.4% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $110,400 in Denver, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,754 a month in Denver, CO versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Denver, CO and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,168 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Denver, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.6% moving from Buffalo, NY to Denver, CO ($111,301 → $118,675), while prices change by +10.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Denver, CO: price level 105.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 105.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,369 in Denver | $90,605 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,754/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $62,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 146.9 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 101.0 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 105.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Denver, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax −$1,168/yr.
35 Weak offer
Denver, CO → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,168/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Denver, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Denver, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Denver, CO | Real change, Buffalo → Denver |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $68,819 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $83,265 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $99,800 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $118,675 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $140,239 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Denver, CO | Denver pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $76,910 | $69,684 (−8.9%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $137,610 | $124,682 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $100,020 | $90,623 (+10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $101,130 | $91,629 (−7.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.