City comparison
Greenville, SC vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 10.6% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $110,600 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 $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $663 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Greenville, SC to Trenton, NJ ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.5% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (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
| Greenville, SC | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,637 in Trenton | $90,386 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$663/yr.
39 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$663/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC 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 Greenville, SC to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Greenville → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $77,850 | $70,365 (+16.0%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $128,770 | $116,390 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $99,550 | $89,979 (+17.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $99,990 | $90,377 (+11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.