City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Dayton, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 6.6% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $106,600 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 $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,212 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.9% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Dayton, OH ($117,284 → $110,401), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Dayton, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,766 in Dayton | $106,649 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,009/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 | $49,980 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Dayton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 72.7 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 95.4 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,212/yr.
90 Strong offer
Dayton, OH → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,212/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Dayton, OH is in Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Dayton, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Dayton, OH | Real change, Atlantic City → Dayton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,021 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $77,460 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $92,841 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $110,401 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $130,461 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Dayton, OH | Dayton pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $80,360 | $85,703 (+6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $106,910 | $114,018 (−10.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $79,030 | $84,285 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $82,510 | $87,996 (−11.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.