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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Buffalo, NY

Population: 276,688 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
57/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$16.7B
Per Capita
$60,354
Total Revenue
$3.8B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Education
65.1%$10.9B
Other
19.4%$3.2B
Housing & Community Development
5.8%$965.9M
Utilities
5.7%$947.6M
Public Welfare
1.8%$307.8M
Highways & Roads
0.7%$119.5M
Parks & Recreation
0.7%$113.5M
Fire Protection
0.5%$84.7M
Sewerage
0.3%$52.2M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
1.8%$69.7M
Income Tax
6.6%$248.5M
Intergovernmental
6.2%$232.5M
Charges & Fees
12.3%$464.4M
Other
21.6%$816.9M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$306/person
Highways & Roads$432/person
Parks & Recreation$410/person
Education$39,263/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)28/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Buffalo stacks up against another city.

vs New York, NYvs Rochester, NYvs Yonkers, NY
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in New York

New York, NY

Pop. 8.6M

C
Total Spending
$1113.3B
Per Capita
$129,119

Rochester, NY

Pop. 211K

D
Total Spending
$15.9B
Per Capita
$75,154

Yonkers, NY

Pop. 210K

C
Total Spending
$13.2B
Per Capita
$62,907

Syracuse, NY

Pop. 146K

C
Total Spending
$8.2B
Per Capita
$55,830

Compare Buffalo With

New York, NY

Spending: $129,119/person · Grade: C

Rochester, NY

Spending: $75,154/person · Grade: D

Yonkers, NY

Spending: $62,907/person · Grade: C

Syracuse, NY

Spending: $55,830/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Buffalo, NY spends $60,354 per resident, based on total expenditures of $16.7B for a population of 276,688. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (57/100).

Buffalo, NY has total expenditures of $16.7B and total revenue of $3.8B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Buffalo, NY employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Buffalo, NY has a Fiscal Health Score of C (57/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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