City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 11.5% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $111,500 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $417 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.0% moving from Kansas City, MO to Trenton, NJ ($108,173 → $125,431), while prices change by +11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,494 in Trenton | $89,691 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$417/yr.
38 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$417/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Kansas City → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $72,737 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $88,005 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $105,481 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $125,431 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $148,222 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $77,850 | $69,824 (+14.4%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $128,770 | $115,495 (−7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $99,550 | $89,287 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $99,990 | $89,682 (+8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.