City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Green Bay, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 3.0% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $103,000 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 $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $940 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Green Bay, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Green Bay, WI ($111,301 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Green Bay, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,122 in Green Bay | $102,963 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $931/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $49,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Green Bay, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Green Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 74.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 90.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$940/yr.
78 Strong offer
Green Bay, WI → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$940/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Green Bay, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Green Bay, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Green Bay, WI | Real change, Buffalo → Green Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $61,722 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $74,678 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $89,508 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $106,437 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $125,776 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Green Bay, WI | Green Bay pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $60,600 | $62,395 (−18.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $103,160 | $106,216 (−16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $77,720 | $80,023 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $84,700 | $87,210 (−12.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.