Cost of living in Trenton, NJ
The Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area (392,138 people) ranks #35 of 149 for prices among the U.S. metro areas we cover. Here's what it costs to live there.
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Price level, from cheaper to pricier.
- The Villages, FL 85.4
- McAllen, TX 85.9
- Springfield, MO 88.6
- Wichita, KS 88.9
- Jackson, MS 89.0
- Tulsa, OK 89.2
- Columbus, GA 89.3
- Little Rock, AR 89.4
- El Paso, TX 89.9
- Oklahoma City, OK 90.4
- Sioux Falls, SD 90.6
- Baton Rouge, LA 90.8
- Clarksville, TN 90.9
- Fargo, ND 90.9
- Killeen, TX 91.1
- Spartanburg, SC 91.1
- Fayetteville, AR 91.4
- Chattanooga, TN 91.5
- Toledo, OH 91.5
- Birmingham, AL 91.6
- Des Moines, IA 91.7
- Augusta, GA 91.9
- Omaha, NE 91.9
- Fayetteville, NC 92.0
- Winston-Salem, NC 92.0
- Jacksonville, NC 92.1
- Memphis, TN 92.2
- Kansas City, MO 92.5
- Fort Wayne, IN 92.6
- Knoxville, TN 92.6
- New Orleans, LA 92.6
- Dayton, OH 92.7
- Greensboro, NC 92.9
- Lexington, KY 92.9
- Huntsville, AL 93.1
- Louisville, KY 93.1
- Greenville, SC 93.3
- Akron, OH 93.4
- Billings, MT 93.5
- Myrtle Beach, SC 93.6
- Columbia, SC 93.7
- Cleveland, OH 93.9
- Daphne, AL 94.7
- Pittsburgh, PA 94.7
- San Antonio, TX 94.7
- St. Louis, MO 95.1
- Ocala, FL 95.2
- Savannah, GA 95.2
- Cincinnati, OH 95.4
- Albuquerque, NM 95.5
- Columbus, OH 95.5
- Grand Rapids, MI 95.5
- Indianapolis, IN 95.7
- Syracuse, NY 95.7
- Buffalo, NY 95.8
- Nashville, TN 96.3
- Wilmington, NC 96.4
- Asheville, NC 96.5
- Cheyenne, WY 96.5
- Gainesville, FL 96.7
- Milwaukee, WI 96.9
- Tucson, AZ 96.9
- Crestview, FL 97.0
- Rochester, NY 97.0
- Lakeland, FL 97.1
- Charlotte, NC 97.3
- Madison, WI 97.3
- Panama City, FL 97.3
- Durham, NC 97.6
- Pensacola, FL 97.7
- Richmond, VA 97.9
- Virginia Beach, VA 97.9
- Hilton Head Island, SC 98.0
- Austin, TX 98.1
- Provo, UT 98.2
- Raleigh, NC 98.2
- Prescott, AZ 98.3
- Boise, ID 98.4
- Houston, TX 98.6
- Harrisburg, PA 98.7
- Daytona Beach, FL 99.4
- Jacksonville, FL 99.5
- Albany, NY 99.6
- Allentown, PA 100.0
- Palm Bay, FL 100.0
- Atlanta, GA 100.1
- Greeley, CO 100.2
- Las Vegas, NV 100.2
- Port St. Lucie, FL 100.2
- Detroit, MI 100.3
- Ogden, UT 100.3
- Spokane, WA 100.3
- Norwich, CT 100.4
- Punta Gorda, FL 100.5
- Colorado Springs, CO 100.7
- Ann Arbor, MI 100.9
- Bakersfield, CA 100.9
- Burlington, VT 100.9
- Salt Lake City, UT 100.9
- Tampa, FL 100.9
- Charleston, SC 101.0
- Reno, NV 101.0
- Fort Collins, CO 101.1
- Orlando, FL 101.4
- Eugene, OR 101.6
- Providence, RI 101.8
- Portland, ME 101.9
- Fresno, CA 102.2
- Cape Coral, FL 102.3
- Sarasota, FL 102.4
- Worcester, MA 102.5
- Philadelphia, PA 102.6
- Hartford, CT 102.7
- Dallas, TX 103.1
- Naples, FL 103.2
- Trenton, NJ 103.2
- Phoenix, AZ 103.3
- Bend, OR 103.6
- Chicago, IL 103.6
- Olympia, WA 103.7
- Baltimore, MD 104.5
- New Haven, CT 104.6
- Minneapolis, MN 104.8
- Stockton, CA 105.1
- Boulder, CO 105.2
- Anchorage, AK 105.4
- Portland, OR 105.4
- Bremerton, WA 105.6
- Manchester, NH 105.7
- Denver, CO 105.8
- Riverside, CA 106.4
- Sacramento, CA 106.7
- Bridgeport, CT 106.9
- Santa Rosa, CA 107.8
- Boston, MA 108.3
- Vallejo, CA 108.5
- Santa Barbara, CA 108.8
- Washington, D.C. 108.9
- Salinas, CA 109.0
- Poughkeepsie, NY 109.4
- San Jose, CA 110.4
- Oxnard, CA 110.5
- Honolulu, HI 111.0
- Seattle, WA 111.1
- San Diego, CA 111.9
- New York, NY 112.6
- Los Angeles, CA 113.6
- Miami, FL 114.2
- San Francisco, CA 115.6
Compare Trenton with your city
See what you'd need to earn in Trenton to keep your lifestyle, after taxes and local prices. The calculator starts from New York, NY, which sends the most households here of the metros we cover (IRS, 2022–2023), at about its median household income. Pick your own city and salary.
Equal salary in Trenton: $84,600
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $84,600 in Trenton, NJ to match $100,000 in New York, NY ($15,400 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Uses New York and New Jersey state income tax; includes New York City resident tax $3,441 (inside city limits).
What things cost in Trenton
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 for the metropolitan area.
Taxes in Trenton
On a $105,000 salary (about the area's median household income), a single filer keeps $77,568 after 2026 federal tax ($14,270), Social Security and Medicare ($8,033) and New Jersey income tax ($4,499), plus $631 in state payroll programs.
Housing
| Measure | Trenton area |
|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,744/mo |
| Median home value | $436,500 |
| Median property tax | $8,709/yr |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $3,151 |
| Median household income | $104,148 |
Climate and jobs in Trenton
In the Trenton area the average January low is 24°F and the average July high 86°F, and the area has about 22 days a year at 90°F or hotter. Unemployment averaged 5.3% in 2025, above the U.S. rate (4.3%), and the median wage across all jobs was $63,490 a year, 25% above the U.S. median.
| Climate | 1991–2020 average |
|---|---|
| January low | 24°F |
| July high | 86°F |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 22 a year |
| Precipitation | 46 in a year |
| Snowfall | 27 in a year |
| Jobs and pay | Metro area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate, 2025 average | 5.3% | 4.3% |
| Median wage, all jobs (May 2025) | $63,490 | $50,980 |
| Wage and salary jobs (May 2025) | 240,190 | 155.5 million |
Climate: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages at the Trenton Mercer County Airport station (USW00014792). Weather varies across a metro area, especially with elevation and distance from the coast. Jobs: unemployment from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics; wages and job counts from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, which count wage and salary jobs, not the self-employed; wages are before taxes. The 2025 average covers 11 months: October 2025 data were not collected during the federal government shutdown.
Retiring in Trenton
A single retiree spends about $3,700 a month here if they own their home outright, or $4,426 renting, based on typical spending for households 65 and older (BLS 2024) adjusted for local prices. See where your budget goes furthest.
Where people move to and from Trenton
IRS county-to-county migration data, 2022–2023, aggregated to the 149 metro areas we cover.
Natural hazard risk
FEMA rates the Trenton area among the highest for natural hazard risk (score 95.4 of 100), with expected losses of about $456 per resident per year. Disaster risk by county in New Jersey.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
Frequently asked questions
What salary do you need to live in Trenton?
To match the buying power of $75,000 in an average-priced area with no state income tax, you need about $83,000 in Trenton. Renting the median home at 30% of income takes $69,760, and buying the median home with 20% down takes about $135,055.
Is Trenton expensive?
The Trenton metro area's price level is 103.2 (U.S. = 100), #35 of the 149 metro areas we cover, from most to least expensive. Its housing price index is 135.1, 35% above the U.S. average.
Are people moving to Trenton?
Counting moves to and from the other 148 metro areas we cover, Trenton had a net loss of about 1,254 households in 2022–2023 (IRS county migration data).
What is the weather like in Trenton?
In NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Trenton area (Trenton Mercer County Airport weather station), the average January low is 24°F and the average July high 86°F. The area has about 22 days a year at 90°F or hotter and gets 46 inches of precipitation a year and about 27 inches of snow.
What are jobs and pay like in Trenton?
The Trenton metro area's unemployment rate averaged 5.3% in 2025, above the U.S. rate (4.3%). The median wage across all jobs was $63,490 a year in May 2025, 25% above the U.S. median of $50,980 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What natural disasters affect Trenton?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the area among the highest overall (score 95.4). The highest relative risks are strong wind, winter weather, riverine flooding.
Compare Trenton with other cities
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Cities with similar prices
- Naples, FL 103.2
- Phoenix, AZ 103.3
- Dallas, TX 103.1
- Chicago, IL 103.6
- Bend, OR 103.6
- Hartford, CT 102.7
- Moving from New Jersey