City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Chattanooga, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 8.1% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $108,100 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 $1,263 in Chattanooga, TN. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 19% in Chattanooga, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Chattanooga, TN ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (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 | Chattanooga, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,522 in Chattanooga | $108,083 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,263/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $46,700 |
| 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 Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Chattanooga, TN-GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 76.5 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.0 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 74.2 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
94 Strong offer
Chattanooga, TN → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
45 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Chattanooga, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Chattanooga, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Chattanooga, TN | Real change, Atlantic City → Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Chattanooga, TN | Chattanooga pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $59,830 | $64,666 (−19.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $106,750 | $115,379 (−8.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $76,680 | $82,878 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $79,770 | $86,218 (−13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.