City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 2.1% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $102,100 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Tampa, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Tampa, FL ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.1% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (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 | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,057 in Tampa | $97,985 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,696/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% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $48,940 |
| 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
61 Fair offer
Tampa, FL → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Tampa, FL | Real change, Atlantic City → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −11.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −11.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −11.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −11.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −11.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $60,120 | $58,909 (−26.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $130,450 | $127,821 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $78,990 | $77,398 (−6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $85,470 | $83,748 (−15.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.