City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 14.9% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $114,900 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.8% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Los Angeles, CA ($117,284 → $124,085), while prices change by +14.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,879 in Los Angeles | $87,048 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.0%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Atlantic City → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $71,957 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $87,061 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $104,349 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $124,085 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $146,632 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $101,860 | $88,667 (+10.2%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $160,920 | $140,078 (+10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $94,360 | $82,139 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $135,560 | $118,002 (+18.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.