City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 7.9% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $107,900 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.6% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Sacramento, CA ($117,284 → $117,984), while prices change by +7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,903 in Sacramento | $92,676 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,832/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
39 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Atlantic City → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $68,419 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $82,780 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $99,218 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $117,984 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $139,422 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $103,390 | $95,817 (+19.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $139,640 | $129,412 (+2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $92,110 | $85,363 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $171,460 | $158,901 (+60.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.