Side-by-side comparison of Rochester, NY and Buffalo, NY — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Rochester has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 4.53% compared to Buffalo's 4.15%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $175,000 in Rochester vs $195,000 in Buffalo, while rents come in at $1,100/mo and $1,150/mo respectively.
Growth & appreciation: Buffalo is growing faster at 0.1% annually, while Rochester is losing population. Buffalo leads on home value appreciation at 2.4% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 1.72% in Rochester vs 1.69% in Buffalo. Vacancy rates of 6.5% and 6.2% are mixed — Buffalo has the tighter rental market.
Bottom line: Buffalo edges out Rochester on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 4.15%, Buffalo's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Rochester or Buffalo.