City comparison
Albany, NY vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 3.6% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $103,600 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 $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 23% in Albany, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $680 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.2% moving from Albany, NY to Trenton, NJ ($109,810 → $125,431), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.2% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- 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
| Albany, NY | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,630 in Trenton | $96,497 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$680/yr.
58 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$680/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Albany → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $72,737 | +10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $88,005 | +10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $105,481 | +10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $125,431 | +10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $148,222 | +10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $77,850 | $75,123 (−5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $128,770 | $124,260 (−2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $99,550 | $96,063 (+13.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $99,990 | $96,488 (−3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.