Rents are 3% below what Buffalo's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,421 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Buffalo usually run 0.9% below trend in December and 0.9% above it in June, about $26 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Buffalo is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Buffalo changed +3.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 82 New York cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +5.3%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Buffalo rose 38.6% while median household income rose 34% ($37,354 to $50,041). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Buffalo is 44.6% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 12 months in a row, and rose in 12 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($50,041) is $1,251 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,209); a 3-bedroom is $1,480.
The priciest of 19 ZIP codes in Buffalo, 14203 ($2,243/mo), costs 1.9 times the cheapest, 14206 ($1,165/mo).
Niagara Falls, 16 miles away, rents for 17% less ($1,180/mo), about $2,900 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Buffalo. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Buffalo, NY is majority renter-occupied, has a median income below the national average, 31.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Buffalo, NY has changed in 5 years
Since 2021, the typical rent in Buffalo, NY has climbed from $1,064 to $1,421, a 33.6% change over five years. On the earnings side, the typical household in Buffalo, NY now reports about $50,041, up from $42,186 in 2021. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Buffalo, NY reflects that arc in its own way.
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At $1,421/mo, how Buffalo rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Buffalo rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Buffalo. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Buffalo
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Buffalo is $1,421/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $993/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,209/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,029/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,480/mo.
At 34% of local median household income ($50,041/yr), Buffalo ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $1,421/mo, rent takes ~34% of Buffalo's median household income ($50,041/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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