City comparison
Scranton, 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 10.3% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $110,300 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 $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,110 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Scranton, PA to Trenton, NJ ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (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
| Scranton, PA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,287 in Trenton | $90,673 in Scranton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,028/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 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,330 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Scranton | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.0 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 106.5 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Scranton, PA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,110/yr.
40 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,110/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Scranton, PA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Scranton, PA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Scranton, PA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Scranton → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Scranton, PA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Scranton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,590 | $77,850 | $70,589 (−7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $119,960 | $128,770 | $116,759 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,480 | $99,550 | $90,265 (+28.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,650 | $99,990 | $90,664 (+9.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.