City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Atlantic City, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 1.2% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $101,200 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $387 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Atlanta, GA to Atlantic City, NJ ($112,556 → $117,284), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Atlantic City, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 98.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,800 in Atlantic City | $101,215 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $47,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Atlantic City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 98.7 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 109.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 98.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$387/yr.
73 Strong offer
Atlantic City, NJ → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$387/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Atlantic City, NJ is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Atlantic City, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Atlantic City, NJ | Real change, Atlanta → Atlantic City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,013 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $82,289 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $98,630 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $117,284 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $138,595 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Atlantic City, NJ | Atlantic City pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $80,480 | $81,458 (+6.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $126,670 | $128,209 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $83,040 | $84,049 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $99,320 | $100,527 (+0.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.