City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 1.5% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $101,500 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.8% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Spokane, WA ($117,284 → $106,991), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (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 | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,506 in Spokane | $98,516 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
64 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Spokane, WA | Real change, Atlantic City → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,044 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,068 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,974 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,991 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $126,432 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $98,800 | $97,334 (+20.9%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $130,690 | $128,751 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $86,350 | $85,069 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $111,750 | $110,092 (+10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.