Places › New Jersey › Atlantic City

Living in Atlantic City, NJ

Small city in New Jersey

Atlantic City is a small city in New Jersey, home to about 38,000 people, with 351,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Atlantic City a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Mild summers: highs around 78°F
  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $263k and rents for $2,590 a month
  • Easy flying: PHL is 54 mi away
  • Strong healthcare: 2 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi

👎 Cons

  • Fewer family amenities than most places
  • Higher taxes: about $2,267 state income tax per resident, 2.96% property tax
  • Fewer graduates: 21% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Weaker public schools: test results well below the US average

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Atlantic City ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
38,000
351,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
44°F / 78°F
Average daily highs · 17″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$263k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$2,590/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
99
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$2,267
State income tax per resident · 2.96% property tax
Safety
2.3× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
13 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, hurricanes
Top-rated hospitals
2
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 11 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
21%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
PHL
54 mi away

Living in Atlantic City: common questions

What is the cost of living in Atlantic City?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $263k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,590 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 99, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Atlantic City?

New Jersey collects about $2,267 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.96% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Atlantic City safe?

Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.3× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Atlantic City?

Public schools in Atlantic City test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 11 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Atlantic City?

Atlantic City has cool winters: winter days average around 44°F and summer days around 78°F, with roughly 17″ of snow a year.

Does Atlantic City get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, hurricanes and coastal flooding: 13 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.45 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Atlantic City?

The nearest major airport is PHL, about 54 mi away.

How Atlantic City scores

Each bar compares Atlantic City with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietUrban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundWalk & transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAverage cost Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceModerate pace Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingGood
💸Low taxesPoor
💼Job marketBelow average
🏥HealthcareGood
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyPoor
🐕Dog-friendlyBelow average
⛰️OutdoorsAverage
🎭CultureBelow average
👮SafetyHigher crime
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyAverage
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportGood

Places like Atlantic City

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Bridgeton, NJSmall city38 $280k$2,300/moHigher crime New London, CTSmall city53 $340k$2,410/moSafe Schenectady, NYSmall city43 $312k$2,040/moHigher crime New Bedford, MAMid-size city47 $452k$1,830/moModerate crime Holyoke, MASuburb42 $336k$2,130/moHigher crime Wilkes-Barre, PASmall city41 $183k$1,630/moModerate crime

Nearby

Galloway, NJSmall city · 8 mi away50 $314k$2,590/moVery safe Egg Harbor, NJSmall city · 9 mi away53 $332k$2,590/moVery safe Hamilton (Philadelphia area), NJSmall city · 17 mi away50 $280k$2,590/moNo crime data Stafford, NJSmall city · 25 mi away56 $441k$3,040/moVery safe Vineland, NJSmall city · 30 mi away41 $315k$2,100/moSafe Millville, NJSmall city · 32 mi away37 $275k$1,920/moModerate crime

See all the best places to live in New Jersey.

Is Atlantic City right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.