City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Roanoke, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 5.6% higher than in Roanoke, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Roanoke, VA would need about $105,600 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 $1,053 in Roanoke, VA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 17% in Roanoke, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $756 a year higher in Roanoke, VA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Roanoke, VA ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Roanoke, VA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Roanoke, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,700 in Roanoke | $105,596 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,053/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $47,140 |
| 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 Roanoke, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Roanoke, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Roanoke |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 88.9 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Roanoke, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$756/yr.
86 Strong offer
Roanoke, VA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$756/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Roanoke, VA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Roanoke, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Roanoke, VA | Real change, Atlantic City → Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Roanoke, VA | Roanoke pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $62,010 | $65,480 (−18.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $121,110 | $127,887 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $77,240 | $81,562 (−1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $80,090 | $84,572 (−14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.