City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 3.1% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $103,100 in Trenton, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,545 in Trenton, NJ. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 25% in Trenton, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $387 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Trenton, NJ ($112,556 → $125,431), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.1% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (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
| Atlanta, GA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,120 in Trenton | $96,974 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$387/yr.
59 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$387/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Atlanta → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $72,737 | +8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $88,005 | +8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $105,481 | +8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $125,431 | +8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $148,222 | +8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $77,850 | $75,494 (−1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $128,770 | $124,874 (−6.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $99,550 | $96,538 (+12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $99,990 | $96,965 (−3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.