City comparison
Flint, MI vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 10.9% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $110,900 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 $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 14% in Flint, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $4,180 in NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Flint, MI to Trenton, NJ ($117,402 → $125,431), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (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
| Flint, MI | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,906 in Trenton | $90,167 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$181/yr.
38 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$181/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Flint → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $72,737 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $88,005 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $105,481 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $125,431 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $148,222 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $77,850 | $70,195 (+7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $128,770 | $116,108 (+14.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $99,550 | $89,761 (+20.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $99,990 | $90,158 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.