What salary do you need to live in Buffalo, NY?

Buffalo housing costs at a glance

Census figures put the median gross rent in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro at $869 for a one-bedroom, $1,076 for a two-bedroom and $1,169 for a three-bedroom. Moving from one to two bedrooms adds $207 a month, and the third bedroom another $93.

Homeowners in Buffalo report a median home value of $226,100. Against a median household income of $72,237, the ratio is 3.1× — one of the gentler home-price-to-income ratios in the country.

BEA's Regional Price Parity for the metro is 95.8, where 100 is the US average. In plain terms, the full basket of goods, services and housing costs 4.2% less than average, so $100,000 here buys roughly what $104,336 would at average US prices.

Buffalo: the pre-tax income for each grade

The salary lines for a two-bedroom household land at $32,000 for Tight, $63,000 for Okay and $126,000 for Comfortable. The gap between the Okay and Comfortable lines alone is $63,000, which says how much extra income it takes to make housing feel roomy here rather than merely workable.

The Royal grade is within reach at $392,000 a year, where both rent and the median home price look small next to income.

These lines come straight from the calculator's formula: the income is raised until the two-bedroom score crosses each cutoff, then rounded up to the next $1,000.

Buffalo at four common salaries

At $75,000 home size barely changes the picture: one, two and three bedrooms all grade Okay, with scores from 49 to 54.

Of the four salaries, $150,000 is the first where a two-bedroom reads Comfortable or better; $100,000 still lands at Okay.

Buffalo compared with every US metro

Out of 387 metros, Buffalo has the 149th highest price parity and the 236th highest two-bedroom rent, which puts it near the middle on overall prices and near the middle on rent.

Its nearest neighbors on the rent list are Chambersburg, PA ($1,078) and Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI ($1,076).

Buffalo next to New York and similar metros

How Buffalo stacks up against its state: $1,076 for a two-bedroom against New York's $1,620, $226,100 for the median home against $423,800, and a price level of 95.8 against 107.9.

Scored the same way, the statewide figures turn Comfortable at $278,000, so Buffalo needs $152,000 less than New York overall.

Looking for somewhere comparable without leaving New York? Elmira, NY, Glens Falls, NY, and Syracuse, NY have the closest mix of rent and overall prices.

Buffalo's median income on the scale

What about a typical local household? Census puts median household income here at $72,237, which grades Okay (49) for a two-bedroom at the median rent. That falls $53,763 short of the $126,000 Comfortable line, a reminder that the typical household here spends a larger share on housing than the Comfortable band allows. For New York as a whole, the median household income of $85,974 scores 32 against statewide rents. Household income can include more than one earner, so a single salary of the same size goes less far.

These are pre-tax estimates from public statistics, not financial advice.