City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 2.3% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $102,300 in Fort Collins, CO to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ and $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $488 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Fort Collins, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Fort Collins, CO ($117,284 → $118,675), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.1% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (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 | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,297 in Fort Collins | $97,754 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$488/yr.
62 Fair offer
Fort Collins, CO → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$488/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Atlantic City → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $68,819 | −1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $83,265 | −1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $99,800 | −1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $118,675 | −1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $140,239 | −1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $62,930 | $61,517 (−23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $133,990 | $130,981 (+3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $89,340 | $87,334 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $97,600 | $95,408 (−3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.