City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 4.7% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $104,700 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Buffalo, NY to Spokane, WA ($111,301 → $106,991), while prices change by +4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.2% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,697 in Spokane | $95,514 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,193/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
55 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Spokane, WA | Real change, Buffalo → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $62,044 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $75,068 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $89,974 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $106,991 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $126,432 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $98,800 | $94,367 (+23.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $130,690 | $124,827 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $86,350 | $82,476 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $111,750 | $106,736 (+7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.