City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 5.3% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $105,300 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.5% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Modesto, CA ($117,284 → $133,060), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.7% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,312 in Modesto | $94,956 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
53 Fair offer
Modesto, CA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Modesto, CA | Real change, Atlantic City → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $77,161 | +7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $93,358 | +7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $111,896 | +7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $133,060 | +7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $157,236 | +7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $101,640 | $96,513 (+19.9%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $119,770 | $113,729 (−10.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $83,560 | $79,345 (−4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $132,590 | $125,902 (+26.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.