City comparison
San Luis Obispo, CA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 5.2% higher than in Trenton, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Trenton, NJ would need about $105,200 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,545 in Trenton, NJ. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 25% in Trenton, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from San Luis Obispo, CA to Trenton, NJ ($124,085 → $125,431), while prices change by −5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.4% in real buying power.
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (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
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.6 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,013 in Trenton | $105,249 in San Luis Obispo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,914/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 | 31% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,770 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Luis Obispo | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 144.4 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 147.8 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 108.6 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Luis Obispo, CA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
85 Strong offer
Trenton, NJ → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Luis Obispo, 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 San Luis Obispo, CA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Luis Obispo, CA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, San Luis Obispo → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $72,737 | +6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $88,005 | +6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $105,481 | +6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $125,431 | +6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $148,222 | +6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Luis Obispo, CA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in San Luis Obispo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $97,620 | $77,850 | $81,936 (−16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $135,020 | $128,770 | $135,529 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,160 | $99,550 | $104,775 (+18.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $138,820 | $99,990 | $105,239 (−24.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.