Most of Buffalo is in Erie County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $36.20 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 37 ZIP codes in Buffalo with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $990 to $1,630 a month. At the middle rent, $1,210, a full-time job would need to pay $39.30 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14201 | Erie County | $1,200/mo | $38.91/hr |
| 14202 | Erie County | $1,240/mo | $40.46/hr |
| 14203 | Erie County | $1,630/mo | $55.61/hr |
| 14204 | Erie County | $990/mo | $31.29/hr |
| 14205 | Erie County | $1,210/mo | $39.30/hr |
| 14206 | Erie County | $1,020/mo | $32.30/hr |
| 14207 | Erie County | $1,110/mo | $35.43/hr |
| 14208 | Erie County | $1,080/mo | $34.31/hr |
| 14209 | Erie County | $1,200/mo | $38.91/hr |
| 14210 | Erie County | $1,080/mo | $34.31/hr |
| 14211 | Erie County | $1,160/mo | $37.36/hr |
| 14212 | Erie County | $1,060/mo | $33.64/hr |
| 14213 | Erie County | $1,180/mo | $38.14/hr |
| 14214 | Erie County | $1,260/mo | $41.24/hr |
| 14215 | Erie County | $1,080/mo | $34.31/hr |
| 14216 | Erie County | $1,320/mo | $43.56/hr |
| 14217 | Erie County | $1,140/mo | $36.59/hr |
| 14218 | Erie County | $1,020/mo | $32.30/hr |
| 14219 | Erie County | $1,070/mo | $33.98/hr |
| 14220 | Erie County | $1,120/mo | $35.81/hr |
| 14221 | Erie County | $1,630/mo | $55.61/hr |
| 14222 | Erie County | $1,320/mo | $43.56/hr |
| 14223 | Erie County | $1,090/mo | $34.68/hr |
| 14224 | Erie County | $1,300/mo | $42.79/hr |
| 14225 | Erie County | $1,110/mo | $35.43/hr |
| 14226 | Erie County | $1,300/mo | $42.79/hr |
| 14227 | Erie County | $1,330/mo | $43.95/hr |
| 14228 | Erie County | $1,490/mo | $50.18/hr |
| 14231 | Erie County | $1,210/mo | $39.30/hr |
| 14233 | Erie County | $1,210/mo | $39.30/hr |
| 14240 | Erie County | $1,210/mo | $39.30/hr |
| 14260 | Erie County | $1,490/mo | $50.18/hr |
| 14261 | Erie County | $1,530/mo | $51.73/hr |
| 14263 | Erie County | $1,210/mo | $39.30/hr |
| 14272 | Erie County | $1,210/mo | $39.30/hr |
| 14273 | Erie County | $1,210/mo | $39.30/hr |
| 14280 | Erie County | $1,210/mo | $39.30/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Buffalo needs to pay at least $36.20 an hour before taxes, about $75,299 a year. That is the figure for Erie County, where the typical studio rent is $1,130 a month.
Yes. Across the 37 ZIP codes in Buffalo with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $990 to $1,630 a month. At the middle rent of $1,210, the pay needed would be $39.30 an hour.
The minimum wage in Erie County is $16.00 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 2.3 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads