City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 2.0% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $102,000 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,889 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.5% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Tucson, AZ ($117,284 → $108,455), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,016 in Tucson | $102,024 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Tucson, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,889/yr.
75 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,889/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Atlantic City → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,893 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $76,095 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $91,205 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $108,455 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $128,162 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $47,220 | $48,176 (−40.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $123,710 | $126,214 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $76,320 | $77,865 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $94,110 | $96,015 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.