City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 9.9% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $109,900 in Trenton, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,545 a month in Trenton, NJ versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,212 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.9% moving from Cleveland, OH to Trenton, NJ ($111,138 → $125,431), while prices change by +9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Trenton, NJ: price level 103.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,856 in Trenton | $91,028 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,212/yr.
41 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,212/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Cleveland → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $72,737 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $88,005 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $105,481 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $125,431 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $148,222 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $77,850 | $70,866 (−7.3%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $128,770 | $117,217 (+5.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $99,550 | $90,619 (+13.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $99,990 | $91,019 (+8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.