City comparison
Trenton, NJ vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 5.3% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $105,300 in Trenton, NJ to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,545 a month in Trenton, NJ and $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $756 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.9% moving from Trenton, NJ to Virginia Beach, VA ($125,431 → $108,019), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.3% in real buying power.
- Trenton, NJ: price level 103.2 (pricier)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Trenton, NJ | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.2 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,922 in Virginia Beach | $105,349 in Trenton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,545/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,490 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Trenton | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 135.1 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 112.3 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 103.2 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Trenton, NJ → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$756/yr.
85 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$756/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Trenton, NJ is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Trenton, NJ to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Trenton, NJ | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Trenton → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,640 | −9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,788 | −9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,838 | −9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,019 | −9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,646 | −9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Trenton, NJ | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Trenton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,850 | $63,380 | $66,770 (−14.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,770 | $129,090 | $135,995 (+5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,550 | $79,450 | $83,700 (−15.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,990 | $89,450 | $94,235 (−5.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.