City comparison
Reading, PA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 6.3% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $106,300 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 $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,110 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.9% moving from Reading, PA to Trenton, NJ ($117,284 → $125,431), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (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
| Reading, PA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,305 in Trenton | $94,069 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,110/yr.
50 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,110/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Reading → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $72,737 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $88,005 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $105,481 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $125,431 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $148,222 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $77,850 | $73,232 (−8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $128,770 | $121,132 (+0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $99,550 | $93,645 (+24.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $99,990 | $94,059 (−4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.