City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 4.9% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $104,900 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Olympia, WA ($117,284 → $119,630), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,869 in Olympia | $95,357 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
54 Fair offer
Olympia, WA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Olympia, WA | Real change, Atlantic City → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $69,373 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $83,935 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $100,602 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $119,630 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $141,367 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $104,650 | $99,792 (+24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $124,060 | $118,300 (−6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $94,470 | $90,084 (+8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $125,020 | $119,216 (+20.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.