How much is rent in Buffalo, NY?

The median 2-bedroom in Buffalo rents for $1,205 a month with utilities, $358 less than the US median. A 1-bedroom runs $957 and a 3-bedroom $1,346.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

$1,2052-bedroom¹US: $1,563
$9571-bedroom¹US: $1,362
$48,200Income for a 2-bed at 30%²A year
19%Share of typical income³For a 2-bedroom

Rent in Buffalo by number of bedrooms

Median rent, utilities included, next to the US median.¹

Studio$1,064/mo
Buffalo
$1,064
US
$1,365
Income to keep it at 30%: $42,560²
1 bedroom$957/mo
Buffalo
$957
US
$1,362
Income to keep it at 30%: $38,280²
2 bedrooms$1,205/mo
Buffalo
$1,205
US
$1,563
Income to keep it at 30%: $48,200²
3 bedrooms$1,346/mo
Buffalo
$1,346
US
$1,760
Income to keep it at 30%: $53,840²
4 bedrooms$1,393/mo
Buffalo
$1,393
US
$2,153
Income to keep it at 30%: $55,720²

Work out what rent you can afford · Full cost of living in Buffalo

Where rent costs less than Buffalo

15 of the cities we cover have a lower median 2-bedroom rent. The cheapest and the closest:¹

City	2-bedroom rent	Less than Buffalo
Paducah, KY	$886	$319/mo
Terre Haute, IN	$901	$304/mo
Muncie, IN	$919	$286/mo
Spartanburg, SC	$1,148	$57/mo
Pittsburgh, PA	$1,185	$20/mo
Tulsa, OK	$1,187	$18/mo

Rent in Buffalo: questions people ask

How much is rent in Buffalo?

Median rent with utilities, all units: $1,196 a month. By size: studio $1,064, 1 bedroom $957, 2 bedrooms $1,205, 3 bedrooms $1,346, 4 bedrooms $1,393 (Census ACS, 2025).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in Buffalo?

To keep a 2-bedroom at 30% of income, about $48,200 a year. For a 1-bedroom, $38,280.

What share of income goes to rent in Buffalo?

A year of median 2-bedroom rent equals 19% of the median household income of $77,062 (Census ACS, 2025).

Where is rent cheaper than Buffalo?

Of the cities we cover, Paducah, KY ($886), Terre Haute, IN ($901), Muncie, IN ($919) have the lowest median 2-bedroom rent.

Rent elsewhere in New York

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Notes on the numbers

1Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B25031, median gross rent by number of bedrooms (rent plus utilities the renter pays), 2025. Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, so new leases often cost more. $3,500+ is the highest figure the Census publishes. Census table
2Income to keep rent at 30%: a year of rent divided by 0.3, the common rule of thumb. Our arithmetic.
3Household income: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B19013, median household income, 2025. Census table

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