City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 2.9% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $102,900 in Trenton, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,545 a month in Trenton, NJ versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.7% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Trenton, NJ ($113,356 → $125,431), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.5% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (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
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,945 in Trenton | $97,139 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
60 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $72,737 | +7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $88,005 | +7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $105,481 | +7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $125,431 | +7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $148,222 | +7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $77,850 | $75,623 (+41.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $128,770 | $125,086 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $99,550 | $96,702 (+21.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $99,990 | $97,129 (+18.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.