City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlantic City, NJ (98.9) and Houston, TX (98.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ goes as far as $99,800 in Houston, TX.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.7% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Houston, TX ($117,284 → $122,749), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.9% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,769 in Houston | $100,231 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
69 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Houston, TX | Real change, Atlantic City → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $71,181 | +4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $86,123 | +4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $103,225 | +4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $122,749 | +4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $145,052 | +4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $64,500 | $64,649 (−19.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $129,440 | $129,739 (+2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $85,090 | $85,287 (+2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $99,830 | $100,061 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.