City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 7.3% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $107,300 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 $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $625 a year higher in Rockford, IL than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.4% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Rockford, IL ($117,284 → $118,984), while prices change by −6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.8% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,219 in Rockford | $107,274 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$625/yr.
91 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$625/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Rockford, IL | Real change, Atlantic City → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $68,999 | +8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $83,482 | +8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $100,059 | +8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $118,984 | +8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $140,604 | +8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $64,200 | $68,870 (−14.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $107,640 | $115,469 (−8.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $75,260 | $80,734 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $80,930 | $86,817 (−12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.