City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 2.1% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $102,100 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Buffalo, NY to Richmond, VA ($111,301 → $111,183), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,101 in Richmond | $97,942 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$76/yr.
62 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$76/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Richmond, VA | Real change, Buffalo → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $64,475 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $78,009 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $93,499 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $111,183 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $131,385 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $61,290 | $60,029 (−21.5%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $132,120 | $129,401 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $84,220 | $82,487 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $93,580 | $91,654 (−7.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.