City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Wichita, KS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 11.1% higher than in Wichita, KS. Someone earning $100,000 in Wichita, KS would need about $111,100 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 $849 in Wichita, KS. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 14% in Wichita, KS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $600 a year higher in Wichita, KS than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Wichita, KS ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Wichita, KS: price level 88.9 (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 | Wichita, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 88.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,974 in Wichita | $111,143 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $849/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,780 (KS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $47,630 |
| 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 Wichita, KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Wichita, KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Wichita |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 66.2 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 94.0 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 93.8 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 88.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Wichita, KS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$600/yr.
100 Strong offer
Wichita, KS → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$600/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Wichita, KS is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Wichita, KS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Wichita, KS | Real change, Atlantic City → Wichita |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Wichita, KS | Wichita pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $58,640 | $65,174 (−19.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $105,980 | $117,789 (−7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $79,270 | $88,103 (+6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $76,540 | $85,069 (−14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.