City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 12.6% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $112,600 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 $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $555 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to Trenton, NJ ($107,510 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (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
| Birmingham, AL | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,588 in Trenton | $88,820 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$555/yr.
38 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$555/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Birmingham → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $72,737 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $88,005 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $105,481 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $125,431 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $148,222 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $77,850 | $69,146 (+10.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $128,770 | $114,373 (−8.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $99,550 | $88,420 (+12.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $99,990 | $88,811 (+12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.