Akron vs Buffalo
Metro-area medians — Akron, OH Metro Area vs Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Metro Area — not the cities proper.
Buffalo comes out ahead, winning 3 of the 5 clearly-decided measures.
Akron and Buffalo are closely matched on both cost of living and household income. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.
Their widest everyday difference: the typical commute is shorter in Buffalo — about 21.5 min versus 23.5 min.
For your salary & household
Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.
On $75,000 for just you, Akron leaves you about $3,926/yr better off after tax and local prices.
Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.
Choose Buffalo for
- + Livability (CityLedger)
- + Bachelor's degree or higher
- + Average commute
More comparisons
Metros closest to Akron and Buffalo on cost, income, size, and education.
Akron vs Buffalo — frequently asked
- Is Akron cheaper than Buffalo?
- They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Akron and Buffalo metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
- Which has higher household income, Akron or Buffalo?
- Household incomes are similar — $71,364 in the Akron metro versus $72,300 in Buffalo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).
- Does a paycheck go further in Akron or Buffalo?
- It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($76,431 versus $75,435).
- Which has cheaper rent, Akron or Buffalo?
- Akron has cheaper rent — a median of $1,059/mo versus $1,114/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).