City comparison
Akron, OH vs Atlantic City, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 5.9% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $105,900 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 $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,212 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.5% moving from Akron, OH to Atlantic City, NJ ($111,138 → $117,284), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Atlantic City, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 98.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,877 in Atlantic City | $94,450 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $47,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Atlantic City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 98.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 109.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 98.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,212/yr.
51 Fair offer
Atlantic City, NJ → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,212/yr.
87 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Atlantic City, NJ is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Atlantic City, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Atlantic City, NJ | Real change, Akron → Atlantic City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $68,013 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $82,289 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $98,630 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $117,284 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $138,595 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Atlantic City, NJ | Atlantic City pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $104,530 | $101,010 | $95,403 (−8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $126,670 | $119,639 (+13.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $83,040 | $78,431 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $99,320 | $93,807 (+16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.