City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 3.5% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $103,500 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 $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,180 a year in NJ and $3,999 in MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Grand Rapids, MI ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,651 in Grand Rapids | $103,465 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $47,570 |
| 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 Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$181/yr.
80 Strong offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$181/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Atlantic City → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $61,900 | $64,045 (−20.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $107,520 | $111,246 (−12.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $76,270 | $78,913 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $83,920 | $86,828 (−12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.