City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Pensacola, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 1.2% higher than in Pensacola, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Pensacola, FL would need about $101,200 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 $1,257 in Pensacola, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 19% in Pensacola, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Pensacola, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Pensacola, FL ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.2% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Pensacola, FL: price level 97.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Pensacola, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,847 in Pensacola | $101,167 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,257/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $46,240 |
| 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 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Pensacola |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 98.8 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 97.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Pensacola, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
72 Strong offer
Pensacola, FL → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Pensacola, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Pensacola, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Pensacola, FL | Real change, Atlantic City → Pensacola |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Pensacola, FL | Pensacola pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $50,360 | $50,948 (−36.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $108,430 | $109,695 (−13.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $76,410 | $77,301 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $77,890 | $78,799 (−20.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.