City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 1.5% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $101,500 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,180 a year in NJ and $3,999 in MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.1% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Detroit, MI ($117,284 → $117,402), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (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 | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,458 in Detroit | $98,563 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$181/yr.
64 Fair offer
Detroit, MI → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$181/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Detroit, MI | Real change, Atlantic City → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $68,081 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $82,372 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $98,729 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $117,402 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $138,734 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $65,210 | $64,273 (−20.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $130,760 | $128,881 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $80,650 | $79,491 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $97,280 | $95,882 (−3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.