City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 9.3% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $109,300 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 $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,180 a year in NJ and $3,955 in OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Oklahoma City, OK ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,453 in Oklahoma City | $109,345 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $47,230 |
| 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 Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$226/yr.
98 Strong offer
Oklahoma City, OK → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$226/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Oklahoma City, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, Atlantic City → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $48,780 | $53,339 (−33.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $122,390 | $133,828 (+5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $77,280 | $84,502 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $82,920 | $90,669 (−8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.