City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 4.3% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $104,300 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Dallas, TX ($117,284 → $115,711), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,282 in Dallas | $95,894 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
56 Fair offer
Dallas, TX → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Dallas, TX | Real change, Atlantic City → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $67,100 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $81,186 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $97,307 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $115,711 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $136,736 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $65,070 | $62,398 (−22.5%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $133,290 | $127,817 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $82,620 | $79,228 (−4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $101,420 | $97,256 (−2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.