City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 1.6% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $101,600 in Atlantic City, NJ to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ and $1,482 in Madison, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $261 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Madison, WI ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,412 in Madison | $101,614 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $58,080 |
| 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 Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Madison, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$261/yr.
74 Strong offer
Madison, WI → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$261/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Madison, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Madison, WI | Real change, Atlantic City → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $63,690 | $64,718 (−19.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $130,630 | $132,738 (+4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $81,130 | $82,439 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $101,190 | $102,823 (+3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.