City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 1.4% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $101,400 in Las Vegas, NV to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ and $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.3% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Las Vegas, NV ($117,284 → $108,719), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (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 | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,374 in Las Vegas | $98,645 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
65 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Atlantic City → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $63,046 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $76,280 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $91,427 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $108,719 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $128,473 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $65,040 | $64,159 (−20.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $129,940 | $128,179 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $80,530 | $79,439 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $103,940 | $102,532 (+3.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.