City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 10.8% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $110,800 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,180 a year in NJ and $3,955 in OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Tulsa, OK ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,246 in Tulsa | $110,809 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $46,670 |
| 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 Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$226/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$226/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Atlantic City → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $48,220 | $53,432 (−33.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $108,730 | $120,482 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $81,320 | $90,110 (+8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $84,790 | $93,955 (−5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.