Buffalo, NY vs Syracuse, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Buffalo, NY and Syracuse, NY spend within 8.1% of each other per resident — $60,354 versus $55,830 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Buffalo, NY and Syracuse, NY both land at 57/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Buffalo, NY at $39,263 per resident and in Syracuse, NY at $35,942.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Buffalo, NY at 22% of total revenue, whereas Syracuse, NY relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 17%.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.