Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Buffalo, NY vs Syracuse, NY

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Buffalo spends 8.1% more per capita than Syracuse ($4,524/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Buffalo, NY
Pop. 276,688
C
57/100
Budget Balance28
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Syracuse, NY
Pop. 146,134
C
57/100
Budget Balance26
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Buffalo
Syracuse
Total Spending
$16.7B
$8.2B
Spending / Capita
$60,354
$55,830
Total Revenue
$3.8B
$2.0B
Revenue / Capita
$13,649
$13,918
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
276,688
146,134
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Buffalo$306
Syracuse$282
Highways & Roads
Buffalo$432
Syracuse$288
Parks & Recreation
Buffalo$410
Syracuse$600
Education
Buffalo$39,263
Syracuse$35,942

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

BuffaloSyracuse
Sales Tax
$252
$383
Income Tax
$898
$0
Intergovernmental
$840
$2,392
Charges & Fees
$1,679
$1,755
Other
$2,952
$873

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

BuffaloSyracuse
Fire Protection
$306
$282
Highways & Roads
$432
$288
Education
$39,263
$35,942
Public Welfare
$1,112
$614
Parks & Recreation
$410
$600
Housing
$3,491
$3,659
Sewerage
$189
$317
Utilities
$3,425
$1,703
Interest on Debt
$0
$16
Other
$11,726
$12,408
C
Buffalo, NY
Fiscal Health Score: 57/100
Average fiscal health
C
Syracuse, NY
Fiscal Health Score: 57/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities