City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Fayetteville, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 7.5% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $107,500 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 $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $699 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Fayetteville, NC ($117,284 → $111,147), while prices change by −7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.9% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (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 | Fayetteville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,041 in Fayetteville | $107,479 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,113/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $45,620 |
| 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 Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Fayetteville, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 73.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$699/yr.
92 Strong offer
Fayetteville, NC → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$699/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Fayetteville, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Fayetteville, NC | Real change, Atlantic City → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,453 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $77,983 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $93,468 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $111,147 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $131,342 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Fayetteville, NC | Fayetteville pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $54,350 | $58,415 (−27.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $122,900 | $132,092 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $78,560 | $84,435 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $83,060 | $89,272 (−10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.