City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlantic City, NJ (98.9) and Provo, UT (98.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ goes as far as $99,400 in Provo, UT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $646 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Provo, UT ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,368 in Provo | $100,636 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $48,010 |
| 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 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Provo, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$646/yr.
71 Strong offer
Provo, UT → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$646/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Provo, UT | Real change, Atlantic City → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $62,930 | $63,330 (−21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $131,210 | $132,045 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $75,700 | $76,182 (−8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $81,780 | $82,300 (−17.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.