City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 2.5% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $102,500 in Trenton, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,545 a month in Trenton, NJ versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $488 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.8% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Trenton, NJ ($109,246 → $125,431), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.1% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- 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
| Colorado Springs, CO | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,456 in Trenton | $97,603 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$488/yr.
61 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$488/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Colorado Springs → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $72,737 | +12.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $88,005 | +12.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $105,481 | +12.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $125,431 | +12.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $148,222 | +12.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $77,850 | $75,984 (+24.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $128,770 | $125,684 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $99,550 | $97,164 (+14.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $99,990 | $97,593 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.