City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 3.2% higher than in Trenton, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Trenton, NJ would need about $103,200 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,545 in Trenton, NJ. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 25% in Trenton, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Riverside, CA to Trenton, NJ ($124,085 → $125,431), while prices change by −3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (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
| Riverside, CA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,935 in Trenton | $103,161 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/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 | 29% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
79 Strong offer
Trenton, NJ → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Riverside → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $72,737 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $88,005 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $105,481 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $125,431 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $148,222 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $77,850 | $80,311 (−18.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $128,770 | $132,841 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $99,550 | $102,697 (+22.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $99,990 | $103,151 (−23.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.