City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 3.4% higher than in Trenton, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Trenton, NJ would need about $103,400 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,545 in Trenton, NJ. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 25% in Trenton, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.3% moving from Sacramento, CA to Trenton, NJ ($117,984 → $125,431), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.9% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (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
| Sacramento, CA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,728 in Trenton | $103,382 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/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 | 30% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
79 Strong offer
Trenton, NJ → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Sacramento → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $72,737 | +9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $88,005 | +9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $105,481 | +9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $125,431 | +9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $148,222 | +9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $77,850 | $80,483 (−22.2%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $128,770 | $133,126 (−4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $99,550 | $102,917 (+11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $99,990 | $103,372 (−39.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.