City comparison
Providence, RI vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 1.4% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $101,400 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 $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,032 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Providence, RI to Trenton, NJ ($120,548 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (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
| Providence, RI | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,382 in Trenton | $98,636 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Trenton, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,032/yr.
64 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Providence, RI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,032/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Providence → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $72,737 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $88,005 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $105,481 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $125,431 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $148,222 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $77,850 | $76,788 (−11.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $128,770 | $127,014 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $99,550 | $98,193 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $99,990 | $98,626 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.