City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 7.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $107,800 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,032 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.5% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Des Moines, IA ($117,284 → $107,301), while prices change by −7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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 | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,761 in Des Moines | $107,804 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,032/yr.
93 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,032/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Atlantic City → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,223 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,284 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $90,234 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $107,301 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $126,797 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $61,650 | $66,461 (−17.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $126,460 | $136,328 (+7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $79,290 | $85,477 (+2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $78,630 | $84,766 (−14.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.