New Jersey · GSA non-standard area · FY2027
Princeton / Trenton per diem rates
Federal travelers to Princeton / Trenton (GSA area: Mercer) can claim up to $151 a night for lodging and $86 a day for meals and incidental expenses in FY2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027). That is $38 above the standard CONUS lodging rate of $113.
Lodging cap by month, FY2027
FY2027 rates by season
Exactly as listed in GSA's FY2027 per diem file. Season dates are inclusive; the lodging cap applies to the night that begins on each date.
| Season | Lodging | M&IE | Max per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| All year | $151 | $86 | $237 |
Meals, incidentals and a worked trip
| Breakfast | $22 |
| Lunch | $23 |
| Dinner | $36 |
| Incidental expenses | $5 |
| M&IE, full day | $86 |
| First and last day of travel (75%) | $64.50 |
GSA's breakdown of the $86 M&IE tier, used to deduct meals provided by the government or included in a registration fee (FTR §301-11.21). Meals on a common carrier and complimentary hotel breakfasts are not deducted. All tiers
Worked example · November
A 4-night trip (5 travel days) in November:
| Lodging, 4 nights × $151 | $604 |
| M&IE, first and last day at 75% (2 × $64.50) | $129.00 |
| M&IE, 3 full days × $86 | $258 |
| Maximum for the trip | $991.00 |
Lodging is reimbursed up to the cap for actual cost (taxes are claimed separately on CONUS trips, FTR §301-11.16). The 75% first-and-last-day rule is FTR §301-11.20. Use the trip calculator for your own dates.
History, FY2015 to FY2027
Listed in every GSA file since FY2015.
Princeton / Trenton: lodging and M&IE by fiscal year
Each fiscal year runs October to September. Dashed line: the standard CONUS lodging rate.
| Fiscal year | Lodging | M&IE | Max/day | Peak change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2027 | $151 | $86 | $237 | +9.4% |
| FY2026 | $138 | $86 | $224 | 0% |
| FY2025 | $138 | $86 | $224 | +0.7% |
| FY2024 | $137 | $69 | $206 | 0% |
| FY2023 | $137 | $69 | $206 | 0% |
| FY2022 | $137 | $69 | $206 | 0% |
| FY2021 | $137 | $61 | $198 | +3.8% |
| FY2020 | $132 | $61 | $193 | +3.1% |
| FY2019 | $128 | $61 | $189 | −0.8% |
| FY2018 | $129 | $59 | $188 | +1.6% |
| FY2017 | $127 | $59 | $186 | −0.8% |
| FY2016 | $128 | $59 | $187 | +0.8% |
| FY2015 | $127 | $61 | $188 | – |
How it compares
Peak FY2027 lodging cap: Princeton / Trenton among all 295 non-standard areas
Rank #173 nationally and #3 of 10 in New Jersey. All New Jersey rates · National rankings
Where this rate applies
GSA defines this area as Mercer in New Jersey. Under GSA's rules a non-standard area includes "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties" (GSA per diem FAQs).
44 ZIP codes map to Princeton / Trenton in GSA's FY2027 ZIP code file
08501 08512 08515 08520 08525 08530 08534 08535 08540 08541 08542 08543 08544 08550 08558 08560 08561 08601 08602 08603 08604 08605 08606 08607 08608 08609 08610 08611 08618 08619 08620 08625 08628 08629 08638 08645 08646 08647 08648 08650 08666 08690 08691 08695
Other New Jersey destinations
| Destination | Peak lodging | M&IE |
|---|---|---|
| Toms RiverOcean | $217 | $74 |
| NewarkEssex / Bergen / Hudson / Passaic | $175 | $86 |
| Eatontown / FreeholdMonmouth | $148 | $86 |
| ParsippanyMorris | $148 | $80 |
| SomersetSomerset | $147 | $80 |
| Springfield / Cranford / New ProvidenceUnion | $141 | $80 |
| FlemingtonHunterdon | $128 | $80 |
| Edison / PiscatawayMiddlesex | $123 | $80 |
Questions
- What is the per diem rate for Princeton in FY2027?
- Lodging up to $151 a night, plus $86 a day for meals and incidental expenses, for travel from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027.
- How much M&IE do I get on the first and last day?
- 75% of the M&IE rate: $64.50 on the day you leave and the day you return (FTR §301-11.20, as published in the eCFR).
- Are hotel taxes included in the lodging rate?
- No. For CONUS travel, lodging taxes on the reimbursable room cost are claimed separately as a miscellaneous expense (FTR §301-11.16(a)).
Source: U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), per diem rates and per diem files. Not affiliated with GSA. All sources