Negotiating pay when I have been out of work - 8 months and counting

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a home health aide. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I looked up ranges in Buffalo and they vary a lot. How do you research fairly?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.