City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Columbia, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 5.5% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $105,500 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 $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $663 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Columbia, SC ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Columbia, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 93.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,745 in Columbia | $105,547 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,164/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $46,430 |
| 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 Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Columbia, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 79.5 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 93.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$663/yr.
86 Strong offer
Columbia, SC → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$663/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Columbia, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Columbia, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Columbia, SC | Real change, Atlantic City → Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Columbia, SC | Columbia pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $60,050 | $63,381 (−21.2%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $123,380 | $130,223 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $69,210 | $73,049 (−12.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $81,920 | $86,464 (−12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.