Scored the same way as the quiz, against 382 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Atlantic City scores 70 or higher out of 100.
Lively
97 / 100
Lively: about 137 bars, music venues and restaurants per 100,000 people
Artsy
85 / 100
31 museums, galleries and theaters nearby; arts jobs 1.1x the U.S. share
Historic
78 / 100
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places nearby
Less so: cozy, growing.
Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Around Atlantic City
A view of the beach at Atlantic City, New Jersey looking north at Chelsea Avenue · Photo: Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
A view of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey looking north at Brighton Avenue · Photo: Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
A view of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey looking north at Michigan Avenue · Photo: Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
View east along New Jersey State Route 446 (Atlantic City Expressway) from the... · Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Fire Department HQ building in Atlantic City, New Jersey · Photo: ALF700, CC BY-SA 4.0
Station 2 - Engine 2/Rescue 1/Marine 1/Marine 2 (fire boats)/Deputy Chief 1 · Photo: ALF700, CC BY-SA 4.0
Of about 41,836 rented homes in the Atlantic City area, 86% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.
Under $1,000: 27%
$1,000 to $1,499: 34%
$1,500 to $1,999: 24%
$2,000 to $2,499: 11%
$2,500 to $2,999: 2%
$3,000 or more: 1%
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Hiring movers
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
Moving in as a renter
The middle rented home in the Atlantic City area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $2,000 to $2,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $3,000 to $4,497 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,000 to $1,499, that's a yearly income of about $36,000 to $53,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to New Jersey: before and after
Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the New Jersey DMV.
Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Schools
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Atlantic City Campus in Atlantic City, NJ · Photo: Coasterghost, CC BY-SA 3.0
22 public school districts in this county, with about 39,914 students in all. The county also has 3 public charter schools and 16 private schools. Which public school serves a home depends on its address.
Public Public charter Private District that covers the center of Atlantic City: Atlantic City School District
District lines: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024. Tap a dot for details. A home's assigned school depends on its address; check with the district before you buy or rent.
Closest public schools to the center of Atlantic City
Elementary
Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex1.1 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 8 · 538 students · 10.2 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 19%, math 6% (state: reading 49%, math 36%)
New York Avenue School1.2 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 8 · 562 students · 10.4 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 8%, math 3% (state: reading 49%, math 36%)
Texas Avenue School1.4 mi
Public
grades K to 8 · 499 students · 10.6 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 22%, math 17% (state: reading 49%, math 36%)
Middle
Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex1.1 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 8 · 538 students · 10.2 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 19%, math 6% (state: reading 49%, math 36%)
New York Avenue School1.2 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 8 · 562 students · 10.4 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 8%, math 3% (state: reading 49%, math 36%)
Texas Avenue School1.4 mi
Public
grades K to 8 · 499 students · 10.6 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 22%, math 17% (state: reading 49%, math 36%)
High school
Atlantic City High School1.5 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 1,699 students · 11.8 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 22%, math 12% (state: reading 49%, math 36%)
Pleasantville High School4.5 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 797 students · 11.4 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 15%, math 3% (state: reading 49%, math 36%)
Mainland Regional High School7.0 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 1,171 students · 11 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 45%, math 28% (state: reading 49%, math 36%)
Private
Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional1.5 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 8 · 87 students · 8.7 per teacher
Highland Academy II4.2 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 8 · 45 students · 8.2 per teacher
Life Point Academy/ Life Point Church6.1 mi
Private
grades 2 to 12 · 10 students · 3.3 per teacher
Straight-line miles from the center of Atlantic City, nearest first. Being closest doesn't mean a school serves a given home. "Passed the state test" is the share of students who scored proficient or better on New Jersey's own reading and math tests in the 2021-22 school year, the latest year the U.S. Department of Education has published for every school. Each state sets its own test and passing bar, so compare schools within the same state, not across states. Test results track family income closely and leave out a lot (teachers, programs, how a school fits your child). For newer results, see the state's school report card.
3,161 students · 10.2 students per teacher · 6 schools · grades Pre-K to 8
School choice and pre-K in New Jersey
Going to school in another district
State law lets each district decide whether to take students from other districts. Some do, some don't; ask the district you'd like.
Picking a different school in your district
State law doesn't set a rule for switching schools within a district; it's up to each district.
Free state pre-K
35% of 4-year-olds and 27% of 3-year-olds in New Jersey attend state-funded pre-K (U.S.: 37% and 9%). Spots, hours and who qualifies vary by district.
School choice: state law as summarized by the Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison: Open Enrollment Policies (2022). Pre-K: share of children in state-funded pre-K, National Institute for Early Education Research, State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook (2024-25 school year).
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Private schools: NCES Private School Survey, 2021-22. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For programs and newer results, see each district's site and the state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Daycare and preschool
New Jersey keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
Age
Daycare center
Home daycare
Infant (under 2)
$287/week
about $14,900 a year
$180/week
about $9,400 a year
Toddler (2)
$278/week
about $14,500 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)
$278/week
about $14,500 a year
$174/week
about $9,000 a year
School-age
$134/week
about $7,000 a year
For an infant at a center: $287/week here, $307 across NJ, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 16% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.
The facts behind it
Typical home value
$383,091
What a typical home sells for across the Atlantic City area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026
Cost of living
About 1% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $99 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 98.9 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 54 min at rush hour
To downtown Philadelphia, PA, 47 miles. About 48 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
25 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Homeowners insurance
About $1,421 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in NJ. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
2 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
35.8 per 100,000 people a year
100 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. NJ average: 16.2 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 24.4 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 682 people without housing in the Atlantic City & County area: 407 in shelters and 275 outside, up from 427 in 2024. NJ: 14.4 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$76,819
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
2.47% of home value a year
About $2,470 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 10.75%
NJ's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
