How the comparison works
For each state with a published 2026 data file, the calculator runs the same paycheck engine as our paycheck calculator: one salary, your filing status, no pre-tax deductions, the state’s own deductions or exemption credits and brackets, and any employee-paid state payroll taxes. Federal income tax and FICA are identical across states, so the differences you see are state taxes alone. The table was computed at build time and recalculates instantly when you change the inputs.
Highest and lowest take-home on $65,000
| Rank | State | State taxes | Take-home | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | $0 | $54,408 | 16.3% |
| 2 | Nevada | $0 | $54,408 | 16.3% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $0 | $54,408 | 16.3% |
| 4 | North Dakota | $0 | $54,408 | 16.3% |
| 5 | South Dakota | $0 | $54,408 | 16.3% |
| … | ||||
| 47 | Delaware | $3,209 | $51,199 | 21.2% |
| 48 | New York | $3,225 | $51,183 | 21.3% |
| 49 | Massachusetts | $3,329 | $51,079 | 21.4% |
| 50 | Hawaii | $3,461 | $50,946 | 21.6% |
| 51 | Oregon | $4,818 | $49,590 | 23.7% |
Single filer, 2026 estimate, before local taxes. The spread between the top and bottom state is $4,818 a year on the same paycheck.
The gap widens with income because graduated state brackets bite harder at higher pay: on $150,000 the spread is $13,856, from $99,935 in Oregon to $113,791 in Florida.
Three kinds of state income tax
No tax on wages
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming do not tax wage income in our data. Some of these still tax other income (such as investment income) or charge employee payroll taxes.
Flat tax
One rate applies to all taxable income, often after a standard deduction or personal exemption — so the effective rate still rises gently with income.
Graduated brackets
Like the federal system, higher slices of income are taxed at higher rates. Brackets, deductions and exemptions differ widely, which is why two states with the same top rate can produce different take-home pay.
State rules the comparison accounts for
Two states with the same rate can tax the same salary differently. From our state files:
- Start from federal taxable income (so the federal standard deduction carries over): Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota.
- Use their own definition of income rather than federal AGI (some don’t subtract 401(k) deferrals): Massachusetts, Pennsylvania.
- Give a personal exemption credit subtracted from tax rather than a deduction from income: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah.
- Let you deduct federal income tax on the state return: Alabama, Missouri, Oregon.
- Married filing separately uses single brackets unless a state publishes its own.
Data confidence is below “high” for Arizona, District of Columbia, Idaho, Maryland, Oregon, Utah, Vermont because some 2026 figures were not yet published; see those state pages for details.
Payroll taxes and local taxes
Employees in Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington also pay state payroll taxes such as disability insurance, paid family and medical leave or unemployment insurance; those are in the “State payroll taxes” column. Local income taxes are excluded because they depend on your city or county — open your state’s page to add one.
Using the table for a job offer in another state
If you are weighing offers in two states, enter each salary separately and note the take-home figure for the matching state. A higher salary in a state with graduated brackets can still leave less than a lower salary in a no-tax state, or the reverse — the table shows exactly where the crossover falls for your filing status. Then open both state pages: the paycheck calculator there adds your 401(k), benefits, children and any local income tax for the city you would live in, which can change the answer.
Before you move for a lower tax
Income tax is one line in a budget. Housing, sales and property taxes, insurance and typical salaries vary much more between states. Compare total cost of living alongside take-home pay, and remember that if you live in one state and work in another, both may claim tax on your wages (with a credit for taxes paid to the other) — a situation this table does not model.
Each state row links to a page with the brackets, deductions, payroll taxes, official sources and a data-confidence note.