City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 5.0% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $105,000 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 $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,110 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.5% moving from Lancaster, PA to Trenton, NJ ($108,592 → $125,431), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.0% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (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
| Lancaster, PA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,010 in Trenton | $95,229 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,110/yr.
54 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,110/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Lancaster → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $72,737 | +10.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $88,005 | +10.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $105,481 | +10.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $125,431 | +10.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $148,222 | +10.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $77,850 | $74,136 (−5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $128,770 | $122,626 (+17.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $99,550 | $94,800 (+24.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $99,990 | $95,219 (+6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.