City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 7.6% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $107,600 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 $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $510 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.3% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Omaha, NE ($117,284 → $107,501), while prices change by −7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (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 | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,974 in Omaha | $107,557 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$510/yr.
92 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$510/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Omaha, NE | Real change, Atlantic City → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,339 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,425 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $90,402 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $107,501 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $127,033 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $62,670 | $67,406 (−16.2%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $125,220 | $134,683 (+6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $77,030 | $82,851 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $84,600 | $90,993 (−8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.