City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 1.0% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $101,000 in Atlantic City, NJ to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ and $1,507 in Richmond, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $756 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Richmond, VA ($117,284 → $111,183), while prices change by −1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,989 in Richmond | $101,021 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Richmond, VA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$756/yr.
72 Strong offer
Richmond, VA → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$756/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Richmond, VA | Real change, Atlantic City → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,475 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $78,009 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $93,499 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $111,183 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $131,385 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $61,290 | $61,916 (−23.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $132,120 | $133,469 (+5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $84,220 | $85,080 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $93,580 | $94,535 (−4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.