City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 12.2% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $112,200 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,890 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.3% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Urban Honolulu, HI ($117,284 → $111,119), while prices change by +12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.6% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,244 in Urban Honolulu | $89,092 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,890/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,890/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Atlantic City → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,438 | −15.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $77,964 | −15.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $93,445 | −15.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $111,119 | −15.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $131,310 | −15.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $73,080 | $65,108 (−19.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $120,230 | $107,115 (−15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $74,990 | $66,810 (−19.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $139,260 | $124,069 (+24.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.