City comparison
Fresno, CA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 1.0% higher than in Fresno, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Fresno, CA would need about $101,000 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 $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.3% moving from Fresno, CA to Trenton, NJ ($106,973 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.1% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (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
| Fresno, CA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,000 in Trenton | $99,009 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → Trenton, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
66 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Fresno, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Fresno → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $72,737 | +16.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $88,005 | +16.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $105,481 | +16.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $125,431 | +16.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $148,222 | +16.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $77,850 | $77,079 (−2.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $128,770 | $127,495 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $99,550 | $98,564 (+25.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $99,990 | $99,000 (−21.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.