City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 13.9% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $113,900 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $680 a year higher in New York, NY than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.9% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to New York, NY ($117,284 → $125,431), while prices change by +13.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,864 in New York | $87,824 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.2%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$680/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$680/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | New York, NY | Real change, Atlantic City → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $72,737 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $88,005 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $105,481 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $125,431 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $148,222 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | New York, NY | New York pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $96,900 | $85,101 (+5.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $166,830 | $146,516 (+15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $105,650 | $92,786 (+11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $119,720 | $105,143 (+5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.