City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlantic City, NJ (98.9) and Visalia, CA (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ goes as far as $101,000 in Visalia, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.8% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Visalia, CA ($117,284 → $106,973), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.7% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,979 in Visalia | $99,030 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
66 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Atlantic City, NJ
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Visalia, CA | Real change, Atlantic City → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,033 | −9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,055 | −9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,959 | −9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,973 | −9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $126,410 | −9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $98,430 | $97,476 (+21.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $126,170 | $124,947 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $79,400 | $78,630 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $125,180 | $123,966 (+24.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.