City comparison
Trenton, NJ vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 3.4% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $103,400 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 $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.7% moving from Trenton, NJ to Visalia, CA ($125,431 → $106,973), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.8% in real buying power.
- Trenton, NJ: price level 103.2 (pricier)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Trenton, NJ | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.2 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,748 in Visalia | $103,361 in Trenton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,545/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,490 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Trenton-Princeton, NJ and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Trenton | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 135.1 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 112.3 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.2 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Trenton, NJ → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
79 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Trenton, NJ is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Trenton, NJ to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Trenton, NJ | Visalia, CA | Real change, Trenton → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,033 | −11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,055 | −11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,959 | −11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,973 | −11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,410 | −11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Trenton, NJ | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Trenton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,850 | $98,430 | $101,738 (+30.7%) |
| Software Developers | $128,770 | $126,170 | $130,410 (+1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,550 | $79,400 | $82,069 (−17.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,990 | $125,180 | $129,387 (+29.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.