ATLANTIC CITY — Atlantic City has casinos, concerts, beaches, nightlife and a seemingly endless supply of things to photograph and talk about.
Now, a new national ranking suggests those attributes could make the resort an especially attractive home base for the growing number of people who make their living creating digital content.
A new HostingAdvice analysis ranks Atlantic City No. 4 among 529 U.S. cities for content creators, trailing only Las Vegas, West Hollywood, California, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
New York City Councilman and radio host Frank Morano says Atlantic City shouldn't simply celebrate the ranking — it should build on it.
“If a city like Atlantic City or any city, quite frankly, including New York, is going to have a future that includes young people, it should embrace this distinction of being a city that's friendly for content creators,” Morano said during an appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on WOND.
Then Morano took the idea a step further.
“It should roll out the red carpet for content creators all over the country to come to Atlantic City and be the content creation capital of the world,” he said.
Why Atlantic City Ranked So High
HostingAdvice examined cities based on four broad categories: internet connectivity and infrastructure, creative community and events, affordability and employment opportunities.
Atlantic City received an overall score of 57.62, narrowly behind third-place Sioux Falls at 57.87.
The study gave Atlantic City particularly strong marks for its creative community and affordability. It cited a median gross rent of $1,136 and an internet access rate of 81.42%.
Researchers also credited the city's tourism economy with providing a steady supply of concerts, festivals and entertainment that can generate material for social media creators.
Atlantic City's location between the Philadelphia and New York markets was another advantage cited in the study.
Morano said the ranking reflects a fundamental shift in how younger Americans consume information and entertainment.
“The fact of the matter is, the world has changed,” Morano said.
“More and more people are, especially young people, getting their information, their entertainment from social media, from TikTok, from Instagram,” he said. “Now, I don't love it for a host of reasons. But the fact is, that's the direction that the world is going.”
Morano, who represents Staten Island's 51st Council District and also hosts radio programs, said Atlantic City is well positioned to take advantage of that shift.
“You think about it, it really makes so much sense that Atlantic City would be ranked so high,” he said. “It really does have everything.”
“It's got drama. It's got gaming. It's got sports,” Morano said.
He also pointed to the visual appeal of the resort.
“It's got the most incredible views, both natural views of things like the beach and the ocean, and also just historic buildings,” Morano said.
And compared with New York, he said, Atlantic City offers another significant advantage for someone attempting to build a business.
“It's a bit more affordable if you're looking for a place to live and start a business, as opposed to a city like New York,” Morano said. “So I think this is very exciting, and I hope people really run with this.”
‘Run Towards This’
Morano said Atlantic City's tourism and government organizations should actively recruit creators and support those already producing content about the city.
He specifically mentioned Visit Atlantic City, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and local government, as well as traditional media organizations.
Morano said established media outlets may instinctively view independent podcasters and social-media personalities as competitors, but he believes that would be a mistake.
“They should run towards this and embrace this label,” Morano said.
He argued that creators who build audiences around Atlantic City can ultimately help businesses throughout the resort.
“The role that you're playing is something that's going to help everybody,” Morano told Lopez.
“It's going to help all of the non-gaming establishments,” Morano said. “And ultimately, it's going to lead to more tax revenue and a more vibrant local economy all year round, beyond just the 12 weeks of summer.”
“So I think this is so important,” he added.
The HostingAdvice study supports at least part of Morano's argument. Researchers concluded that successful creator cities don't necessarily have to be America's biggest or best-known media markets. Instead, the study found that affordability, creative opportunities, connectivity and economic conditions can combine to make smaller cities attractive places to build digital businesses.
For Morano, Atlantic City's fourth-place showing is an opportunity to create another piece of the resort's evolving economy.
“I hope people really run with this,” he said.
About the Author
Karen Johnson
With over 30 years of news experience in major markets like Los Angeles, Denver, and Columbus, Karen now covers our area for South Jersey NewsBeat. She also brings her articulate and conversational news delivery to WOND radio listeners every weekday. Her background includes work with the NBC Radio Network, and she thrives in fast-paced news environments.
