City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Birmingham, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 7.9% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $107,900 in Atlantic City, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $555 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.3% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Birmingham, AL ($117,284 → $107,510), while prices change by −7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.1% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Birmingham, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 91.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,704 in Birmingham | $107,871 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $47,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Birmingham, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 71.9 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 83.8 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 91.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$555/yr.
93 Strong offer
Birmingham, AL → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$555/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Birmingham, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Birmingham, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Birmingham, AL | Real change, Atlantic City → Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,344 | −1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,431 | −1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $90,410 | −1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $107,510 | −1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $127,044 | −1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Birmingham, AL | Birmingham pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $62,630 | $67,559 (−16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $125,410 | $135,281 (+6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $78,660 | $84,851 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $78,680 | $84,873 (−14.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.