City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Minneapolis, MN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 9.4% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $109,400 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,405 a month in Minneapolis, MN versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Minneapolis, MN and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $417 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in Buffalo, NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Buffalo, NY to Minneapolis, MN ($111,301 → $116,038), while prices change by +9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.7% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Minneapolis, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 104.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,367 in Minneapolis | $91,435 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,405/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $73,903 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,277 (MN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $59,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 111.8 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 103.1 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 93.5 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 104.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$417/yr.
42 Weak offer
Minneapolis, MN → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$417/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Minneapolis, MN is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Minneapolis, MN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Minneapolis, MN | Real change, Buffalo → Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $67,290 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $81,415 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $97,582 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $116,038 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $137,123 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $79,730 | $72,901 (−4.7%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $130,920 | $119,707 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $86,500 | $79,091 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $103,040 | $94,215 (−4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.