City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Cleveland, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 5.3% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $105,300 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,212 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Cleveland, OH ($117,284 → $111,138), while prices change by −5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Cleveland, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,009 in Cleveland | $105,253 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,058/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $50,140 |
| 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 Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Cleveland, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 79.4 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 96.0 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,212/yr.
85 Strong offer
Cleveland, OH → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,212/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Cleveland, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Cleveland, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Cleveland, OH | Real change, Atlantic City → Cleveland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,448 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $77,977 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $93,461 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $111,138 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $131,331 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $76,470 | $80,487 (+0.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $111,310 | $117,157 (−7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $80,000 | $84,203 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $83,940 | $88,350 (−11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.