City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Davenport, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 11.0% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $111,000 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 $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,032 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.8% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Davenport, IA ($117,284 → $108,137), while prices change by −9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (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 | Davenport, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 89.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,109 in Davenport | $110,977 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $928/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $48,550 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Davenport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 89.9 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 93.5 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 89.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,032/yr.
100 Strong offer
Davenport, IA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,032/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Davenport, IA is in Davenport-Moline, IA-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Davenport, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Davenport, IA | Real change, Atlantic City → Davenport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,708 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,871 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $90,937 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $108,137 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $127,786 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Davenport, IA | Davenport pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $61,650 | $68,417 (−15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $115,780 | $128,489 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $77,600 | $86,118 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $77,150 | $85,619 (−13.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.