City comparison
College Station, TX vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 13.4% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $113,400 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 $1,082 in College Station, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 16% in College Station, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in College Station, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from College Station, TX to Trenton, NJ ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (much 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
| College Station, TX | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,446 in Trenton | $88,148 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
38 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → College Station, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from College Station, TX to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Trenton, NJ | Real change, College Station → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $77,850 | $68,623 (+18.6%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $128,770 | $113,508 (+11.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $99,550 | $87,751 (+22.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $99,990 | $88,139 (+6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.