City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 7.7% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $107,700 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Riverside, 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 Riverside, CA ($117,284 → $124,085), while prices change by +7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,673 in Riverside | $92,874 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,777/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% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $48,400 |
| 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
41 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Riverside, CA | Real change, Atlantic City → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $71,957 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $87,061 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $104,349 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $124,085 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $146,632 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $98,520 | $91,500 (+13.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $133,270 | $123,773 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $83,920 | $77,940 (−6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $133,940 | $124,396 (+25.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.