City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Modesto, CA (104.1) and Trenton, NJ (103.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Modesto, CA goes as far as $99,100 in Trenton, NJ.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,545 a month in Trenton, NJ versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.7% moving from Modesto, CA to Trenton, NJ ($133,060 → $125,431), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.9% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (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
| Modesto, CA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,109 in Trenton | $100,899 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/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 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Trenton, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
72 Strong offer
Trenton, NJ → Modesto, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
66 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Modesto, 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 Modesto, CA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Modesto → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $72,737 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $88,005 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $105,481 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $125,431 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $148,222 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $129,540 | — |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $128,770 | $129,928 (+8.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $99,550 | $100,445 (+20.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $99,990 | $100,889 (−23.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.