City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Atlantic City, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 6.6% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $106,600 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.5% moving from Anchorage, AK to Atlantic City, NJ ($120,348 → $117,284), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Atlantic City, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 98.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,774 in Atlantic City | $106,639 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $47,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Atlantic City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 98.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 109.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 98.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
89 Strong offer
Atlantic City, NJ → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Atlantic City, NJ is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Atlantic City, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Atlantic City, NJ | Real change, Anchorage → Atlantic City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $68,013 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $82,289 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $98,630 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $117,284 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $138,595 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Atlantic City, NJ | Atlantic City pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $80,480 | $85,823 (+8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $126,670 | $135,079 (+29.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $83,040 | $88,553 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $99,320 | $105,914 (−8.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.