City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 11.7% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $111,700 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 $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $699 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Hickory, NC ($117,284 → $108,810), while prices change by −10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (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 | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,509 in Hickory | $111,720 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $908/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% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$699/yr.
100 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$699/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Hickory, NC | Real change, Atlantic City → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $63,098 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $76,343 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $91,503 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $108,810 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $128,581 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $49,540 | $55,346 (−31.2%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $122,540 | $136,902 (+8.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $77,490 | $86,572 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $80,060 | $89,443 (−9.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.