City comparison
Trenton, NJ vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 15.7% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $115,700 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,180 a year in NJ and $3,955 in OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Trenton, NJ to Tulsa, OK ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Trenton, NJ: price level 103.2 (pricier)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Trenton, NJ | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.2 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,464 in Tulsa | $115,654 in Trenton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,545/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,490 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Trenton | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 135.1 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 112.3 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 103.2 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Trenton, NJ → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$226/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$226/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Trenton, NJ is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Trenton, NJ to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Trenton, NJ | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Trenton → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Trenton, NJ | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Trenton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,850 | $48,220 | $55,769 (−28.4%) |
| Software Developers | $128,770 | $108,730 | $125,751 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,550 | $81,320 | $94,050 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,990 | $84,790 | $98,063 (−1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.