City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 1.9% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $101,900 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ and $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $488 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.9% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Colorado Springs, CO ($117,284 → $109,246), while prices change by +1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,871 in Colorado Springs | $98,163 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Colorado Springs, CO
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$488/yr.
63 Fair offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$488/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Atlantic City → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $63,351 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $76,650 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $91,870 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $109,246 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $129,096 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $61,140 | $60,017 (−25.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $134,280 | $131,813 (+4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $85,000 | $83,439 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $96,140 | $94,374 (−5.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.