City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Charleston, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charleston, SC are 2.1% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $102,100 in Charleston, SC to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,630 a month in Charleston, SC versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Charleston, SC and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $663 a year higher in Charleston, SC than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Charleston, SC ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.1% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Charleston, SC: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Charleston, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,129 in Charleston | $97,915 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,630/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $49,150 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 119.8 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Charleston, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$663/yr.
60 Fair offer
Charleston, SC → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$663/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Charleston, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Charleston, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Charleston, SC | Real change, Atlantic City → Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −11.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −11.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −11.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −11.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −11.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Charleston, SC | Charleston pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $61,020 | $59,748 (−25.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $132,150 | $129,395 (+2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $79,350 | $77,696 (−6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $92,800 | $90,865 (−8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.