City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 3.0% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $103,000 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 $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,110 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.8% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to York, PA ($117,284 → $121,785), while prices change by −2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,110 in York | $102,976 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,110/yr.
78 Strong offer
York, PA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,110/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | York, PA | Real change, Atlantic City → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $70,623 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $85,447 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $102,415 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $121,785 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $143,913 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | York, PA | York pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $79,730 | $82,103 (+2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $114,600 | $118,011 (−6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $75,160 | $77,397 (−6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $96,210 | $99,073 (−0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.