City comparison
Merced, CA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 5.0% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $105,000 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 $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.7% moving from Merced, CA to Trenton, NJ ($133,060 → $125,431), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.2% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (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
| Merced, CA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,991 in Trenton | $95,246 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
54 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Merced → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $72,737 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $88,005 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $105,481 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $125,431 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $148,222 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $77,850 | $74,149 (−25.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $128,770 | $122,648 (−7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $99,550 | $94,818 (+17.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $99,990 | $95,237 (−27.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.