City comparison
Augusta, 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 12.3% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $112,300 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 $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $387 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Augusta, GA to Trenton, NJ ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.0% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Augusta, GA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,271 in Trenton | $89,071 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/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 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$387/yr.
38 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$387/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA 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 Augusta, GA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Augusta → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $77,850 | $69,341 (+10.1%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $128,770 | $114,696 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $99,550 | $88,670 (+15.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $99,990 | $89,062 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.