City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 10.1% higher than in Trenton, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Trenton, NJ would need about $110,100 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,545 in Trenton, NJ. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 25% in Trenton, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Trenton, NJ ($124,085 → $125,431), while prices change by −9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.3% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,855 in Trenton | $110,066 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/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 | 34% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
100 Strong offer
Trenton, NJ → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
27 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Los Angeles → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $72,737 | +11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $88,005 | +11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $105,481 | +11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $125,431 | +11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $148,222 | +11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $77,850 | $85,686 (−15.9%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $128,770 | $141,732 (−11.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $99,550 | $109,571 (+16.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $99,990 | $110,055 (−18.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.