01 · the cities
Trenton
Trenton's downtown is anchored by the famous 'Trenton Makes The World Takes' bridge sign over the Delaware River, a relic of the city's manufacturing past. It's the New Jersey state capital, sitting roughly halfway between Philly and NYC, with quick train access to both. The food scene leans on solid Italian and an emerging Latin American presence. Workmanlike, with history.
full dispatch→Philadelphia
Philadelphia is cheesesteaks (the Pat's vs. Geno's argument is mostly theater), the Italian Market, and the Liberty Bell sitting modestly in a glass pavilion. Murals are everywhere (the city runs the largest public art program in the country). The Eagles fans climbing light poles is folklore for a reason. The food scene punches way above its weight and the bar scene knows it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,540/mo
$1,869/mo
$671/mo less than Trenton (36%)
Median home price
Median home price
$456k
$393k
$63k less than Trenton
State income tax
State income tax
6.4%
6.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,263/mo
$5,896/mo
Philadelphia has $633/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
171 days
173 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
21 days
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Trenton and Philadelphia have remarkably similar weather profiles overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
69 / 100
2.0 pts behind Trenton
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
123 routes
122 routes
Metro size
Metro size
382k metro
6.2M metro
Trenton has 16.8x fewer events per month than Philadelphia.
the verdict
2
Trenton
categories won
3
Philadelphia
categories won
Philadelphia wins on money. Trenton has the edge on lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your Trenton salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works