Erie County · New York · Northeast · 277k residents
Buffalo, NY: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Buffalo: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the New York median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Buffalo is $220,000, 58% below the New York median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,450/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 91 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $46,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A Great Lakes city with grand architecture, serious wings, and a strong comeback story.
Known for: Frank Lloyd Wright sites, lake history, Buffalo wings, sports, and revived neighborhoods.
Calendar note: The National Buffalo Wing Festival and Allentown Art Festival are major events.
Story source: Visit Buffalo Niagara
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Buffalo about 1 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 166 sunny days and 95 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 68 and an average commute of 21 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Buffalo side by side
Cost of living index
91
Median home value
$220,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,450/mo
Median household income
$46,000
Housing momentum
How fast Buffalo's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
72/100
Heating
Ranks Buffalo's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Buffalo's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $220,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $150 |
| Property tax rate | 1.9% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,200/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,450/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.07% |
| Sales tax | 8.75% |
| Cost of living index | 91 |
| Groceries index | 98 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $75/mo |
| Gas price | $3.45/gal |
| Healthcare index | 98 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,250/mo |
| Median household income | $46,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% |
| Population | 277k |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.0/10 |
| Walkability | 68/100 |
| Disaster risk | 98/100 |
| Avg. commute | 21 min |
| Sunny days / year | 166 days |
| July high | 80°F |
| January low | 19°F |
| Annual snowfall | 95 in |
| Home price YoY | +3.7% |
| Home price MoM | +0.3% |
| Rent YoY | +3.1% |
| Rent MoM | +0.4% |
| Ocean coast | 303 mi |
| Big lake | < 3 mi |
| Mountains | 221 mi |
| Major airport | 8 mi |
| Ski resort | 45 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Kenmore, NY · 15k
- Lackawanna, NY · 20k
- Tonawanda Town, NY · 57k
- Cheektowaga, NY · 76k
- Tonawanda, NY · 15k
Similar size
- Yonkers, NY · 210k
- Rochester, NY · 209k
- Syracuse, NY · 146k
- Albany, NY · 100k
- New Rochelle, NY · 83k
Real listings in Buffalo
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Buffalo, NY?
- Buffalo indexes at 91 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,450/mo and a median home value of $220,000.
- How much does a house cost in Buffalo?
- The median home value in Buffalo is $220,000, 58% below the New York median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Buffalo?
- A two-bedroom in Buffalo rents for about $1,450/mo.