City comparison
Hickory, NC vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 16.6% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $116,600 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 $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $699 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Hickory, NC to Trenton, NJ ($108,810 → $125,431), while prices change by +16.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.1% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (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
| Hickory, NC | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,606 in Trenton | $85,759 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$699/yr.
38 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$699/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Hickory → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $72,737 | −1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $88,005 | −1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $105,481 | −1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $125,431 | −1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $148,222 | −1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,250 | $129,540 | $111,092 (−3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $128,770 | $110,432 (−9.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $99,550 | $85,373 (+10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $99,990 | $85,750 (+7.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.