City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Dallas, TX (103.1) and Trenton, NJ (103.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Dallas, TX goes as far as $100,100 in Trenton, NJ.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,545 in Trenton, NJ. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 25% in Trenton, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.4% moving from Dallas, TX to Trenton, NJ ($115,711 → $125,431), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.3% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,087 in Trenton | $99,913 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/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 | 25% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Trenton, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
68 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Dallas, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Dallas → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $72,737 | +8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $88,005 | +8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $105,481 | +8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $125,431 | +8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $148,222 | +8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $77,850 | $77,782 (+19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $128,770 | $128,658 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $99,550 | $99,463 (+20.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $99,990 | $99,903 (−1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.