Atlantic City, NJ — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

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Atlantic County · Atlantic City-Hammonton · population 38,959

First-time buyersInvestors
Atlantic City, NJ
Image: Wikipedia · Atlantic City, New Jersey
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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76
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Atlantic City stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 10.1% annual growth over 5 years. rents up 5.3% in the last year.

Median home $215,691
1-year +2.4%
5-yr CAGR +10.1%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$216k$67k$119k$172k$224k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
78/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,801/mo$1,342$1,656$1,97120242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent12712510012020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 10.0
Buy

At a 10.0 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Atlantic City on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 10.0 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
62 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
88 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
51 · w16%
Rent YoY
80 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
89 · w10%
Long thesis

Atlantic City has averaged 10.1% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+2.4% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Atlantic City's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Atlantic City

Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, with an estimated population of 38,959. It anchors the Atlantic City-Hammonton metro area. The median home value in Atlantic City is $215,691 as of 2026-04, up 2.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +10.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Atlantic City average $1,801 per month, up 5.3% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 76 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 10.1% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Affordable AND rising: median home $215,691 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Quiet strength: +2.4% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 5.3% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Atlantic City (Wikipedia)

Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Atlantic County right now.

NWS active alerts (NJ)New Jersey Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Atlantic County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Atlantic City

Millville, NJ70 · RisingSomers Point, NJ76 · RisingPleasantville, NJ78 · HotClayton, NJ74 · Rising

Run the numbers for Atlantic City

ToolCan I afford Atlantic City?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Atlantic City rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Atlantic City to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolAtlantic City cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
38° / 23°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 65°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
207
~57% of year
Annual precip
47″ rain
25″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
High
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Atlantic City listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Atlantic City-Hammonton area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$97,100
New Jersey state median
Top industries (state-level)
FinancePharmaLogistics

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Atlantic City

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