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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Syracuse, NY vs Buffalo, NY

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

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

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

Key Metrics

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

Per Capita Spending by Department

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

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

SyracuseBuffalo
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)

SyracuseBuffalo
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
C
Syracuse, NY
Fiscal Health Score: 57/100
Average fiscal health
C
Buffalo, NY
Fiscal Health Score: 57/100
Average fiscal health

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