01 · the cities
Buffalo
Buffalo invented the wing (Anchor Bar, 1964, midnight, blue cheese, celery, not negotiable) and that should tell you most of what you need to know about the city's spirit. The Bills Mafia jumps through tables in subzero parking lots. Niagara Falls is 20 minutes away. The architecture (Sullivan, Wright, Olmsted parks) is genuinely world-class. The snow is part of the local mythology and the locals wear it proudly.
full dispatch→Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the Pennsylvania state capital sitting on the Susquehanna River, with a gorgeous Beaux-Arts capitol building (Theodore Roosevelt called it the handsomest building he ever saw). City Island in the middle of the river is a small park with minor league baseball. Hershey is 15 minutes east (yes, that Hershey). Slower-paced than its metro neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,374/mo
$1,446/mo
$72/mo more than Buffalo (5%)
Median home price
Median home price
$280k
$309k
$29k more than Buffalo
State income tax
State income tax
5.9%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,472/mo
$6,632/mo
Harrisburg has $160/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
152 days
152 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
42 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Buffalo drops below 20°F on 9 more days per year than Harrisburg.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
66 / 100
69 / 100
3.0 pts ahead of Buffalo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
20 routes
12 routes
8 fewer direct routes than Buffalo
Metro size
Metro size
1.2M metro
606k metro
Buffalo has 2.1x more events per month than Harrisburg.
the verdict
3
Buffalo
categories won
4
Harrisburg
categories won
Harrisburg leads on weather and wins overall.
run your numbers
How far does your Buffalo salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works