City comparison
San Francisco, CA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 12.0% higher than in Trenton, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Trenton, NJ would need about $112,000 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,545 in Trenton, NJ. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 25% in Trenton, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.7% moving from San Francisco, CA to Trenton, NJ ($133,060 → $125,431), while prices change by −10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.6% in real buying power.
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much 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
| San Francisco, CA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 115.6 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,246 in Trenton | $112,050 in San Francisco |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,977/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 | 48% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $74,260 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Francisco | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 194.7 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 108.5 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 172.6 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 106.2 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 115.6 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Francisco, CA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
100 Strong offer
Trenton, NJ → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
3 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Francisco, 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 San Francisco, CA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Francisco, CA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, San Francisco → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $72,737 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $88,005 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $105,481 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $125,431 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $148,222 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Francisco, CA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in San Francisco dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $77,850 | $87,231 (−14.4%) |
| Software Developers | $186,640 | $128,770 | $144,287 (−22.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $110,730 | $99,550 | $111,546 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $186,610 | $99,990 | $112,039 (−40.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.