City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 1.5% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $101,500 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $940 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Madison, WI ($111,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,506 in Madison | $98,517 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,482/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% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Madison, WI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$940/yr.
64 Fair offer
Madison, WI → Buffalo, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$940/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Madison, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Madison, WI | Real change, Buffalo → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $61,722 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $74,678 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $89,508 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $106,437 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $125,776 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $63,690 | $62,745 (−18.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $130,630 | $128,692 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $81,130 | $79,927 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $101,190 | $99,689 (+0.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.