City comparison
Trenton, NJ vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 17.6% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $117,600 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $555 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.3% moving from Trenton, NJ to Tuscaloosa, AL ($125,431 → $107,510), while prices change by −15.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Trenton, NJ: price level 103.2 (pricier)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Trenton, NJ | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.2 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,018 in Tuscaloosa | $117,622 in Trenton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,545/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,490 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Trenton | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 135.1 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 112.3 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 103.2 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Trenton, NJ → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$555/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$555/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Trenton, NJ is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Trenton, NJ to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Trenton, NJ | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Trenton → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,344 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,431 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,410 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,510 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,044 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Trenton, NJ | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Trenton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,850 | $60,220 | $70,832 (−9.0%) |
| Software Developers | $128,770 | $104,870 | $123,350 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,550 | $71,690 | $84,323 (−15.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,990 | $75,250 | $88,510 (−11.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.