City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 8.6% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $108,600 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.5% moving from Buffalo, NY to Modesto, CA ($111,301 → $133,060), while prices change by +8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.1% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,622 in Modesto | $92,062 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
44 Weak offer
Modesto, CA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
96 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Modesto, CA | Real change, Buffalo → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $77,161 | +10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $93,358 | +10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $111,896 | +10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $133,060 | +10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $157,236 | +10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $116,290 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $119,770 | $110,263 (−13.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $83,560 | $76,927 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $132,590 | $122,065 (+23.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.