City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Lancaster, PA
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 Lancaster, PA (98.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ goes as far as $99,400 in Lancaster, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,110 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.4% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Lancaster, PA ($117,284 → $108,592), while prices change by −0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (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 | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,393 in Lancaster | $100,611 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,110/yr.
71 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,110/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Atlantic City → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,972 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $76,190 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $91,320 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $108,592 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $128,323 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $78,360 | $78,839 (−2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $104,740 | $105,380 (−16.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $76,110 | $76,575 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $89,620 | $90,167 (−9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.