Buffalo, NY vs Yonkers, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Yonkers, NY and Buffalo, NY spend within 4.2% of each other per resident — $62,907 versus $60,354 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Yonkers, NY edges Buffalo, NY on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 63/100 (grade C) to 57/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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 Yonkers, NY at $34,460.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Buffalo, NY at 22% of total revenue, whereas Yonkers, NY relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 15%.
Summary
Yonkers spends 4.1% more per capita than Buffalo ($2,553/person difference). Yonkers, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $252 | $129 |
| Income Tax | $898 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $840 | $4,254 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,679 | $1,866 |
| Other | $2,952 | $1,197 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $306 | $436 |
| Highways & Roads | $432 | $393 |
| Education | $39,263 | $34,460 |
| Public Welfare | $1,112 | $258 |
| Health | $0 | $506 |
| Parks & Recreation | $410 | $622 |
| Housing | $3,491 | $5,533 |
| Sewerage | $189 | $243 |
| Utilities | $3,425 | $2,825 |
| Other | $11,726 | $17,631 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.