Saving money right now lowkey feels like an extreme sport.
Rent is wild, groceries are humbling, and I always joke that anytime I step outside of my apartment it’s instantly $75.
But according to a new nationwide study from FinanceBuzz, there is one New York city where saving money is actually… doable.
And yes, it’s in New York State. Just not that New York.
A recent report from FinanceBuzz ranked Buffalo as the third-easiest city in the entire U.S. to save money, beating out dozens of major metros and earning a bronze medal behind Toledo and Cleveland.
Not bad for a city that rarely gets national financial bragging rights.
So what’s Buffalo doing right?
For starters, the cost of living is about 8% lower than the national average, housing takes a much smaller bite out of residents’ incomes, and Buffalo is tied for the lowest debt-to-income ratio in the country.
As Dana Hummel, Senior Manager of Digital PR at FinanceBuzz puts it, “Buffalo stands out because its fundamentals are strong.”
“Living costs remain below the national average, housing takes a relatively modest share of income, and the city posts one of the lowest debt-to-income ratios (0.77). Together, those factors create a more sustainable financial environment than many larger, higher-cost metros.”
To put things into perspective, Buffalo residents spend about 21% of their income on rent, compared to cities like Miami, where nearly half of residents’ income goes straight to their landlord.
Meanwhile, NYC clocks in as one of the hardest cities to save money in the country — which, frankly, no one here finds surprising.
Sure, Buffalo doesn’t have 24-hour bodegas on every corner or subway debates that double as personality tests.
But it does have affordable housing, manageable debt levels, and enough breathing room in the budget to actually build savings — a concept that feels increasingly mythical downstate.
So no, Buffalo might not replace New York City anytime soon.
But if you’ve ever looked at your rent bill and thought, there has to be another way, the numbers say there just might be — and it’s only a few hours north.