New York, NY vs Buffalo, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Buffalo, NY by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $60,354, a 114% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY edges Buffalo, NY on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 64/100 (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.
Buffalo, NY reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New York, NY carries $462 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in New York, NY at $37,892 per resident and in Buffalo, NY at $39,263.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in New York, NY at 14% of total revenue, whereas Buffalo, NY relies most on other revenue at 22%.
Summary
New York spends 113.9% more per capita than Buffalo ($68,765/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $252 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $898 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $840 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $1,679 |
| Other | $3,593 | $2,952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $306 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $432 |
| Education | $37,892 | $39,263 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $1,112 |
| Health | $417 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $410 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $3,491 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $189 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $3,425 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $11,726 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.