Syracuse, NY vs Buffalo, 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: Syracuse, NY and Buffalo, 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 Syracuse, NY at $35,942 per resident and in Buffalo, NY at $39,263.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Syracuse, NY at 17% of total revenue, whereas Buffalo, NY relies most on other revenue at 22%.
Summary
Buffalo spends 7.5% 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 | $383 | $252 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $898 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,392 | $840 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,755 | $1,679 |
| Other | $873 | $2,952 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $282 | $306 |
| Highways & Roads | $288 | $432 |
| Education | $35,942 | $39,263 |
| Public Welfare | $614 | $1,112 |
| Parks & Recreation | $600 | $410 |
| Housing | $3,659 | $3,491 |
| Sewerage | $317 | $189 |
| Utilities | $1,703 | $3,425 |
| Interest on Debt | $16 | $0 |
| Other | $12,408 | $11,726 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.