City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Kansas City, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 6.8% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $106,800 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $417 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.8% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Kansas City, MO ($117,284 → $108,173), while prices change by −6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,613 in Kansas City | $106,823 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,197/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$417/yr.
90 Strong offer
Kansas City, MO → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$417/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Atlantic City → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,729 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,897 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $90,968 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $108,173 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $127,829 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $61,060 | $65,226 (−19.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $124,990 | $133,518 (+5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $80,040 | $85,501 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $83,040 | $88,706 (−10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.