City comparison
Boston, MA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 4.9% higher than in Trenton, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Trenton, NJ would need about $104,900 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,545 in Trenton, NJ. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 25% in Trenton, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $600 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Boston, MA to Trenton, NJ ($120,548 → $125,431), while prices change by −4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.2% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,302 in Trenton | $104,929 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$600/yr.
84 Strong offer
Trenton, NJ → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$600/yr.
32 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Boston → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $72,737 | +9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $88,005 | +9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $105,481 | +9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $125,431 | +9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $148,222 | +9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $77,850 | $81,687 (−16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $128,770 | $135,117 (−18.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $99,550 | $104,457 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $99,990 | $104,919 (−1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.