City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Fayetteville, AR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 8.2% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $108,200 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 $1,115 in Fayetteville, AR. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 18% in Fayetteville, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $493 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Fayetteville, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Fayetteville, AR ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (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 | Fayetteville, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 91.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,409 in Fayetteville | $108,214 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,115/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,493 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,687 (AR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $46,610 |
| 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 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 76.9 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 75.1 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 91.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Fayetteville, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$493/yr.
94 Strong offer
Fayetteville, AR → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$493/yr.
45 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Fayetteville, AR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Fayetteville, AR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Fayetteville, AR | Real change, Atlantic City → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Fayetteville, AR | Fayetteville pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $61,010 | $66,022 (−18.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $105,130 | $113,766 (−10.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $77,190 | $83,531 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $77,910 | $84,310 (−15.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.