City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Canton, OH
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 10.6% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $110,600 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 $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,212 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Canton, OH ($117,284 → $111,138), while prices change by −9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.8% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Canton, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 89.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,440 in Canton | $110,571 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $846/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $45,810 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Canton-Massillon, OH MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Canton-Massillon, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Canton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 58.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 96.9 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 89.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$2,212/yr.
100 Strong offer
Canton, OH → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,212/yr.
39 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Canton, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Canton, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Canton, OH | Real change, Atlantic City → Canton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,448 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $77,977 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $93,461 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $111,138 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $131,331 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Canton, OH | Canton pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $101,010 | $98,900 | $109,355 (+8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $105,500 | $116,652 (−7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $72,170 | $79,799 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $79,610 | $88,025 (−11.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.