City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 15.1% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $115,100 in Atlantic City, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to McAllen, TX ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.4% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,888 in McAllen | $115,091 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $847/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% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $35,830 |
| 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.1%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | McAllen, TX | Real change, Atlantic City → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $63,110 | $72,634 (−9.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $116,120 | $133,643 (+5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $64,470 | $74,199 (−10.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $80,540 | $92,694 (−6.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.