New Jersey vs Pennsylvania
In $100,000 in New Jersey
$91,912
The same income in Pennsylvania
$102,459
$100,000 has $10,547 more purchasing power in Pennsylvania.
Figures are in national-average dollars: what the income buys once each state's prices are accounted for (US = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, released February 19, 2026. How it's calculated
Salary needed in Pennsylvania
$89,706
to match $100,000 in New Jersey, before tax.
We compare it with your current income after local prices.
Enter an offer greater than zero, or leave this field blank.
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Where the difference comes fromPrice components
Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. The Difference column compares the destination price level with the origin; higher means the destination is more expensive.
| Component | New Jersey | Pennsylvania | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 108.8 | 97.6 | −10.3% |
| Housing rents | 134.3 | 85.1 | −36.6% |
| Goods | 107.1 | 99.4 | −7.2% |
| Utilities | 114.2 | 109.3 | −4.3% |
| Other services | 103.5 | 99.8 | −3.6% |
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 19, 2026 · Official data
Housing reality checkRent, homes & property tax
Housing reality check
ACS median gross rent, home value, and real estate taxes paid — statewide context beyond the index.
US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official data
Tax at a glanceIncome & sales tax
Tax at a glance
Hand-curated, tax year 2026 · verified 2026-07-20
Top marginal and average combined rates do not estimate a household's total tax liability.
| Tax | New Jersey | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax (top rate) | 10.75% | 3.07% |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 6.60% | 6.34% |
Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
Who comes out ahead in Pennsylvania?
The answer depends on your situation. Each card compares statewide medians for one situation; the state named is the one the numbers favor.
An unchanged income buys about 11.5% more in Pennsylvania than in New Jersey. On $100,000 that is $10,547 of national-average purchasing power a year.
Median gross rent is $1,720 in New Jersey and $1,209 in Pennsylvania, $511 a month ($6,132 a year) less in Pennsylvania. Renters spend a median 30.9% and 29.2% of income on rent.
The median home is worth $454,400 in New Jersey (4.4× median household income) and $254,500 in Pennsylvania (3.3×). Median property taxes equal 2.11% and 1.30% of the median home value.
Median household income is $103,556 in New Jersey and $77,971 in Pennsylvania. After adjusting for prices, that is $95,180 and $79,888: local pay goes further in New Jersey.
Unemployment is 4.4% in New Jersey and 3.9% in Pennsylvania (July 2026). Pennsylvania has the tighter labor market by 0.5 points. Pay for specific jobs is compared below.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania head to head
Statewide figures the calculator above does not show. “Edge” (bold on small screens) marks the state with the lower cost or higher income on that row; rows without a clear better direction are left blank.
| Measure | New Jersey | Pennsylvania | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||
| Median household income | $103,556 | $77,971 | New Jersey |
| Adjusted for local prices | $95,180 | $79,888 | New Jersey |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownership rate | 63.8% | 69.3% | |
| Rent as % of renter income | 30.9% | 29.2% | Pennsylvania |
| Owner costs as % of income | 20.4% | 16.6% | Pennsylvania |
| Home value ÷ household income | 4.4× | 3.3× | Pennsylvania |
| Home price change, 2020–2025 · FHFA index | +64.7% | +49.8% | |
| Taxes | |||
| Top income tax rate | 10.75% (graduated) | 3.07% (flat) | Pennsylvania |
| Combined sales tax (avg) | 6.60% | 6.34% | Pennsylvania |
| Median property tax paid | $9,590 | $3,311 | Pennsylvania |
| Property tax ÷ home value | 2.11% | 1.30% | Pennsylvania |
| Jobs | |||
| Unemployment (July 2026) | 4.4% | 3.9% | Pennsylvania |
| Minimum wage | $15.92/hr | $7.25/hr | |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Median rent, 2 bedrooms | $1,804/mo | $1,245/mo | Pennsylvania |
| Average electric bill (2024) | $128/mo | $145/mo | New Jersey |
| Electricity price | 19.3¢/kWh | 17.8¢/kWh | Pennsylvania |
| Health care spending per person (2025) | $11,278 | $10,919 | |
| All consumer spending per person (2025) | $68,561 | $62,438 | |
| People | |||
| Population change since July 2020 | +3.0% | +0.5% | |
| Net moves from other states | −211,131 | −50,746 | |
| Median age | 40.1 | 40.9 | |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 43.6% | 35.2% | |
| No health insurance | 7.5% | 5.6% | Pennsylvania |
| Average commute | 30.5 min | 26.3 min | Pennsylvania |
| Crime (2025, per 100,000 residents) | |||
| Violent crime | 193.8 | 226.8 | New Jersey |
| Property crime | 1,249.6 | 1,323.8 | New Jersey |
| Murder | 1.9 | 4.2 | New Jersey |
| Climate (1991–2020 averages) | |||
| Average temperature | 53.6°F | 49.5°F | |
| July average high | 85.7°F | 82.3°F | |
| January average low | 23.2°F | 18.5°F | |
| Precipitation | 47.6 in | 45.0 in | |
Sources: Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates, FHFA house price index via FRED, BLS LAUS, Tax Foundation 2026, US DOL minimum wage, EIA, BEA consumer spending, Census population estimates, FBI crime estimates, and NOAA statewide climate. Median property tax covers owner-occupied homes. Spending is in current dollars and reflects both prices and incomes.
Who is moving between New Jersey and Pennsylvania
In 2024, about 38,467 people living in Pennsylvania had lived in New Jersey a year earlier, and about 25,902 made the opposite move. On net, Pennsylvania gained about 12,565 residents from New Jersey that year.
Census State-to-State Migration Flows (ACS 1-year, 2024). ± values are 90% margins of error. New Jersey and Pennsylvania profiles list each state's largest sources and destinations. What the biggest moves trade →
Salary in Pennsylvania that matches your New Jersey pay
Pre-tax salary needed in Pennsylvania to keep the same purchasing power, using the all-items price levels (108.8 and 97.6).
| Salary in New Jersey | Equivalent in Pennsylvania | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $35,882 | −$4,118 |
| $60,000 | $53,824 | −$6,176 |
| $80,000 | $71,765 | −$8,235 |
| $100,000 | $89,706 | −$10,294 |
| $150,000 | $134,559 | −$15,441 |
| $200,000 | $179,412 | −$20,588 |
What the same job pays in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
BLS median annual wages (May 2025), then the same wages adjusted for each state's price level. The last column names the state where the job's median pay buys more.
| Occupation | New Jersey | Pennsylvania | NJ adjusted | PA adjusted | Goes further in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $106,500 | $96,430 | $97,886 | $98,801 | Pennsylvania |
| Software Developers | $135,940 | $126,550 | $124,945 | $129,662 | Pennsylvania |
| Elementary School Teachers | $78,200 | $77,060 | $71,875 | $78,955 | Pennsylvania |
| Electricians | $77,250 | $67,600 | $71,002 | $69,262 | New Jersey |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $63,570 | $58,580 | $58,428 | $60,020 | Pennsylvania |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,830 | $79,000 | $92,675 | $80,943 | New Jersey |
| Police & Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $92,610 | $85,470 | $85,119 | $87,572 | Pennsylvania |
| Pharmacists | $137,620 | $138,160 | $126,489 | $141,557 | Pennsylvania |
| Dental Hygienists | $107,040 | $80,610 | $98,382 | $82,592 | New Jersey |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers & Brazers | $59,440 | $52,900 | $54,632 | $54,201 | New Jersey |
Prices inside each state
A statewide price level averages cities and rural areas. The BEA also publishes price levels for metro areas; here is the range in each state.
New Jersey
- Lowest Vineland, NJ 96.0
- Highest New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 112.6
- Metro areas 6
Pennsylvania
- Lowest Johnstown, PA 85.9
- Highest Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 102.6
- Metro areas 16
New Jersey vs Pennsylvania: the read
The bottom line
Compare a $100,000 income in New Jersey and Pennsylvania: its purchasing power is $91,912 and $102,459, respectively, in national-average terms — a gain of $10,547. Pennsylvania is the cheaper of the two, running at 97.6 on the price index versus 108.8.
Where the difference comes from
The widest gap on the index is housing rents: New Jersey sits at 134.3 and Pennsylvania at 85.1 (100 = national), and Pennsylvania has the edge there. Rent is also the largest item in most household budgets, so this gap does the most to separate the two states' overall price levels.
Housing
Median rent runs $1,720 in New Jersey against $1,209 in Pennsylvania, and the typical home $454,400 versus $254,500. Pennsylvania is the more affordable place to buy.
Taxes
On tax, New Jersey has 10.75% top income tax and a combined sales tax of 6.60%; Pennsylvania has 3.07% top income tax and 6.34%. Those headline rates are useful screening facts, but they do not calculate either household's total liability.
Full profiles: New Jersey · Pennsylvania. Every figure here is sourced on the pages linked above.
New Jersey vs Pennsylvania: common questions
Is it cheaper to live in New Jersey or Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania is cheaper overall. Its price level is 97.6 against 108.8 in New Jersey (US = 100), so the same basket of goods and services costs about 10.3% less there. The difference is usually largest for rent.
What salary in Pennsylvania matches $100,000 in New Jersey?
About $89,706, before tax. That is $100,000 × 97.6 ÷ 108.8. Income tax, your actual rent or mortgage, and commuting costs can all shift the break-even point.
Which state has lower taxes, New Jersey or Pennsylvania?
New Jersey has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 10.75% and an average combined sales tax of 6.60%. Pennsylvania has a flat income tax with a top rate of 3.07% and 6.34%. Median real estate taxes paid by owners are $9,590 and $3,311 a year. Which state costs a household less depends on its income, spending, and whether it owns a home.
Do people earn more in New Jersey or Pennsylvania?
Median household income is $103,556 in New Jersey and $77,971 in Pennsylvania. Adjusted for prices, that is $95,180 and $79,888 in national-average dollars, so households in New Jersey have more purchasing power at the median.
Are more people moving from New Jersey to Pennsylvania or the other way?
In 2024, about 38,467 people moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania and about 25,902 moved from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, according to Census state-to-state migration estimates. That is a net gain of about 12,565 for Pennsylvania.
Comparing a different pair? Use the full tool →