City comparison
Binghamton, NY is about 150 miles (250 km) from Buffalo, NY in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Binghamton, NY to Buffalo, NY takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Buffalo has a population of 276,688, vs 47,617 in Binghamton — about 5.8× larger by population. By land area, Buffalo covers about 40 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Binghamton.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Binghamton | Buffalo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $805/mo | $942/mo | 17.0% higher in Buffalo |
| Median home value | $117,400 | $132,100 | 12.5% higher in Buffalo |
| Median household income | $42,031 | $46,184 | 9.9% higher in Buffalo |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 99.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 128.7 | 126.8 | 1.5% higher in Binghamton |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 97.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Binghamton, you'd need $105,170 in Buffalo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Binghamton, NY is about 4.9% cheaper overall than Buffalo, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% higher in Buffalo than in Binghamton. If you earn $80,000 in Binghamton, you'd need about $84,136 in Buffalo to keep the same standard of living.