City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 15.5% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $115,500 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $493 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Little Rock, AR to Trenton, NJ ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +15.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.1% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (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
| Little Rock, AR | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,460 in Trenton | $86,610 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$493/yr.
38 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$493/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Little Rock → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $77,850 | $67,426 (+15.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $128,770 | $111,527 (+7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $99,550 | $86,220 (+31.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $99,990 | $86,601 (+6.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.