City comparison
Trenton, NJ vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 5.1% higher than in Trenton, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Trenton, NJ would need about $105,100 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,545 in Trenton, NJ. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 25% in Trenton, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from Trenton, NJ to Vallejo, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Trenton, NJ: price level 103.2 (pricier)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Trenton, NJ | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.2 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,136 in Vallejo | $95,115 in Trenton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,545/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,490 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Trenton | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 135.1 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 112.3 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.2 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Trenton, NJ → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
50 Fair offer
Vallejo, CA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Trenton, NJ is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Trenton, NJ to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Trenton, NJ | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Trenton → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Trenton, NJ | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Trenton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,850 | $100,790 | $95,867 (+23.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,770 | $136,930 | $130,241 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,550 | $95,800 | $91,120 (−8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,990 | $203,290 | $193,360 (+93.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.