City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 16.0% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $116,000 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.5% moving from Buffalo, NY to Seattle, WA ($111,301 → $119,630), while prices change by +16.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,952 in Seattle | $86,243 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Seattle, WA | Real change, Buffalo → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $69,373 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $83,935 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $100,602 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $119,630 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $141,367 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $102,920 | $88,761 (+16.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $167,280 | $144,267 (+12.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $99,370 | $85,699 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $128,260 | $110,615 (+11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.