City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 4.0% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $104,000 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $417 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.9% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to St. Louis, MO ($117,284 → $109,137), while prices change by −3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.3% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,187 in St. Louis | $103,964 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$417/yr.
81 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$417/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Atlantic City → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $63,288 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $76,573 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $91,779 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $109,137 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $128,967 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $60,650 | $63,054 (−21.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $129,030 | $134,144 (+5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $78,880 | $82,007 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $83,180 | $86,477 (−12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.