City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 8.9% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $108,900 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 $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.1% moving from San Antonio, TX to Trenton, NJ ($108,001 → $125,431), while prices change by +8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.6% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (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
| San Antonio, TX | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,936 in Trenton | $91,797 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
43 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Trenton, NJ | Real change, San Antonio → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $72,737 | +6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $88,005 | +6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $105,481 | +6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $125,431 | +6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $148,222 | +6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $77,850 | $71,464 (+15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $128,770 | $118,207 (−8.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $99,550 | $91,384 (+16.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $99,990 | $91,788 (−2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.