State vs State: Take-Home Pay Comparisons

Thinking about moving? See exactly how much more (or less) you would keep after tax by comparing two states side by side. Every figure runs the same paycheck engine as our individual state calculators — so the numbers always match.

How these comparisons work

Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare are the same in every state, so the whole difference in take-home pay comes down to state income tax. We run a $100,000 single-filer salary (and four other salary tiers) through each state's tax rules and compare the net result.

Keep in mind that take-home pay is only one factor. Cost of living, housing, property tax and sales tax can easily outweigh the income-tax gap, so use these comparisons as a starting point rather than the final word.

See the full rankings