City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Jacksonville, FL
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 Jacksonville, FL (99.5, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ goes as far as $100,600 in Jacksonville, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Jacksonville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Jacksonville, FL ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.8% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (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 | Jacksonville, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,634 in Jacksonville | $99,370 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 21% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $48,830 |
| 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 Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Jacksonville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 109.8 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 99.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Jacksonville, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
67 Fair offer
Jacksonville, FL → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Jacksonville, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Jacksonville, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Jacksonville, FL | Real change, Atlantic City → Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $61,080 | $60,695 (−24.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $130,330 | $129,509 (+2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $79,960 | $79,456 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $83,520 | $82,994 (−16.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.