City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 6.2% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $106,200 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $798 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Louisville, KY ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,150 in Louisville | $106,213 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$798/yr.
88 Strong offer
Louisville, KY → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$798/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Louisville, KY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Louisville, KY | Real change, Atlantic City → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $61,610 | $65,438 (−18.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $110,270 | $117,121 (−7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $76,320 | $81,062 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $84,850 | $90,122 (−9.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.