City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 4.6% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $104,600 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY and $1,122 in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.5% moving from Buffalo, NY to Detroit, MI ($111,301 → $117,402), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,647 in Detroit | $95,559 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
55 Fair offer
Detroit, MI → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Detroit, MI | Real change, Buffalo → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $68,081 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $82,372 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $98,729 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $117,402 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $138,734 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $65,210 | $62,314 (−18.5%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $130,760 | $124,953 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $80,650 | $77,069 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $97,280 | $92,960 (−6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.