City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 11.8% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $111,800 in Oxnard, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,250 a month in Oxnard, CA versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.8% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Oxnard, CA ($117,284 → $124,085), while prices change by +11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (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 | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,812 in Oxnard | $89,436 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,250/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% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Atlantic City → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $71,957 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $87,061 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $104,349 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $124,085 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $146,632 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $99,420 | $88,917 (+10.5%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $159,430 | $142,588 (+12.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $90,340 | $80,796 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $131,160 | $117,304 (+18.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.