City comparison
Trenton, NJ vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 7.5% higher than in Trenton, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Trenton, NJ would need about $107,500 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,545 in Trenton, NJ. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 25% in Trenton, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,890 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Trenton, NJ to Urban Honolulu, HI ($125,431 → $111,119), while prices change by +7.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.6% in real buying power.
- Trenton, NJ: price level 103.2 (pricier)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Trenton, NJ | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.2 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,541 in Urban Honolulu | $92,988 in Trenton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,545/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,490 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Trenton | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 135.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 112.3 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 103.2 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Trenton, NJ → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,890/yr.
35 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Trenton, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,890/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Trenton, NJ is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Trenton, NJ to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Trenton, NJ | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Trenton → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,438 | −17.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,964 | −17.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,445 | −17.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,119 | −17.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,310 | −17.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Trenton, NJ | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Trenton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,850 | $73,080 | $67,955 (−12.7%) |
| Software Developers | $128,770 | $120,230 | $111,799 (−13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,550 | $74,990 | $69,731 (−30.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,990 | $139,260 | $129,495 (+29.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.