City comparison
Houston, TX vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 4.6% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $104,600 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Houston, TX to Trenton, NJ ($122,749 → $125,431), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,614 in Trenton | $95,589 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
55 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Houston → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $72,737 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $88,005 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $105,481 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $125,431 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $148,222 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $77,850 | $74,416 (+15.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $128,770 | $123,090 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $99,550 | $95,159 (+11.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $99,990 | $95,580 (−4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.