City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 13.2% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $113,200 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA ($111,301 → $133,060), while prices change by +13.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.6% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,183 in Vallejo | $88,353 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,705/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% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Buffalo → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $77,161 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $93,358 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $111,896 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $133,060 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $157,236 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $116,290 | $137,160 | $121,184 (+4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $136,930 | $120,981 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $95,800 | $84,642 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $203,290 | $179,612 (+81.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.