City comparison
Spokane, WA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 2.8% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $102,800 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 $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.2% moving from Spokane, WA to Trenton, NJ ($106,991 → $125,431), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.0% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (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
| Spokane, WA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,824 in Trenton | $97,253 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
60 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Spokane → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $72,737 | +14.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $88,005 | +14.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $105,481 | +14.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $125,431 | +14.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $148,222 | +14.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $77,850 | $75,712 (−23.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $128,770 | $125,233 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $99,550 | $96,816 (+12.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $99,990 | $97,244 (−13.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.