City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Merced, CA
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 Merced, CA (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 Merced, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.5% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Merced, CA ($117,284 → $133,060), while prices change by −0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.1% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Merced, CA: 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 | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,411 in Merced | $100,592 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,213/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
71 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Merced, CA | Real change, Atlantic City → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $77,161 | +14.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $93,358 | +14.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $111,896 | +14.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $133,060 | +14.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $157,236 | +14.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $100,120 | $100,713 (+25.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $132,120 | $132,902 (+4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $80,420 | $80,896 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $131,620 | $132,399 (+33.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.