City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 1.3% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $101,300 in Atlantic City, NJ to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ and $1,507 in Durham, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $699 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Durham, NC ($117,284 → $111,147), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.0% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,700 in Durham | $101,317 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Durham, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$699/yr.
73 Strong offer
Durham, NC → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$699/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Durham, NC | Real change, Atlantic City → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,453 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $77,983 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $93,468 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $111,147 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $131,342 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $51,400 | $52,077 (−35.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $135,620 | $137,406 (+8.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $85,090 | $86,211 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.