πΊοΈ State Tax Burden Calculator
What each state really takes, beyond the income tax rate.
Estimated state + local tax
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
On a $100,000 income, Hawaii's total state and local tax burden takes about $13,300 a year, while Alaska takes about $4,920. That $8,380 gap is bigger than most people's federal tax bracket differences, and it comes from the taxes everyone forgets: property, sales, and excise, not just income tax.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your household income, pick your state, and pick a comparison state. The calculator applies each state's total tax burden, the share of personal income residents pay across income, property, and sales taxes, based on WalletHub's 2026 analysis of all 50 states.
Enter household income. The burden percentages scale roughly linearly, so any income works for comparisons.
Pick your state and a comparison state. Texas vs California and Florida vs New York are the classic matchups.
Read the dollar difference. That is the annual tax price of living in one state versus the other.
The Formula
Burden is not the same as the tax rate. It measures what residents actually pay as a share of income, which captures the taxes with no headline rate: Texas has no income tax but a 7.69 percent total burden because property and sales taxes do the heavy lifting. The estimate is an average, your mix of renting vs owning and spending vs saving moves your personal number around it.
Worked Example
Household income $100,000. Hawaii burden 13.30 percent: 100,000 x 0.1330 = $13,300 a year in state and local taxes. Alaska burden 4.92 percent: 100,000 x 0.0492 = $4,920. Difference: $8,380 a year, or about $700 a month, just for the state line on the map. Over a 30-year career that gap compounds to roughly $250,000 before any investment growth.
The Five Highest and Lowest Burdens
| Highest burden | Total | Lowest burden | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 13.30% | Alaska | 4.92% |
| New York | 12.39% | New Hampshire | 5.38% |
| Vermont | 11.10% | Tennessee | 6.21% |
| New Mexico | 10.75% | Florida | 6.27% |
| Maine | 10.01% | Delaware | 6.28% |
The pattern is clear: the lowest-burden states mostly skip either income tax (Alaska, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming) or sales tax (New Hampshire, Delaware, Oregon, Montana). Nobody escapes all three. "No income tax" states collect through property and sales instead, which is why Texas at 7.69 percent is not actually a low-tax state overall, just a differently-taxed one.
Why Income Tax Rate Alone Misleads
Oregon has the highest income tax burden in the country at 4.76 percent of income, but no general sales tax, so its total is 9.46 percent. Washington has nearly no income tax but the fourth-highest sales tax burden at 5.87 percent, totaling 8.47 percent. If you are a high earner who spends little, Washington wins. If you are a big spender with modest income, Oregon wins. Your personal burden depends on your own mix, which is why the total-burden figure beats any single rate for comparisons. For the federal half of the picture, our tax bracket finder and paycheck calculator complete the math.
Moving for Taxes: The Honest Math
A lower burden state is not automatically cheaper. Housing costs, wages, and services move with taxes: New Hampshire's low burden pairs with some of the highest property tax bills in dollars, and Alaska's low burden comes with high prices on everything shipped in. Run the full comparison: burden difference from this calculator, minus housing cost difference, adjusted for the local wage level in your field. People who move for the income tax headline and ignore property tax often end up paying more. The winners are remote workers earning coastal salaries in low-burden states, who keep the wage and dodge the burden.
Moving States for Taxes: the Full Math
No-income-tax states are not no-tax states. Texas and Florida rank high on property taxes (effective rates near 1.6 to 1.8 percent) and sales taxes; a $500,000 home in Texas can carry a $9,000 annual property tax bill that wipes out the income-tax saving for a middle earner. The honest comparison totals five lines: income tax, property tax on your actual home value, sales tax on your actual spending, plus any estate or business taxes that apply to you. Run all five before you call the movers.
Two more wrinkles. First, the SALT cap: since 2018, state and local tax deductions have been capped at $10,000 federally (scheduled at $40,000 for 2025-2029 under the new law), which raised the real cost of high-tax states for itemizers. Second, source rules: moving to Florida does not erase the California tax on California-source income, and several states audit high earners' moves aggressively. Keep the day-count diary if your move is tax-motivated; auditors ask for it.
Total Burden, Not Just Income Tax
The no-income-tax states are not no-tax states: Texas and Florida rank mid-pack on total burden once property and sales taxes are counted. Run the full comparison with this calculator before relocating, because the cheapest income-tax state is rarely the cheapest state overall. Taxes are one line in the cost-of-living budget; weigh them against housing, insurance, and wages, then move for the whole picture.
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state has the highest total tax burden?
Hawaii, at 13.30 percent of personal income across state and local taxes (WalletHub 2026). Its sales and excise burden alone is 7.48 percent, the nation's highest. New York is second at 12.39 percent, driven by the highest property and near-highest income tax burdens.
Which state has the lowest total tax burden?
Alaska at 4.92 percent: no income tax, no statewide sales tax, and modest property taxes, plus residents get the Permanent Fund dividend. New Hampshire is second-lowest at 5.38 percent despite high property taxes, because it has no general sales tax and almost no income tax. But low burden does not mean low bills: fees, insurance, and housing costs can erase the tax advantage.
Is Texas really a low-tax state?
Partly. Texas has no income tax, but its total burden is 7.69 percent, ranking 36th, because property taxes (3.43 percent of income, 9th highest) and sales taxes fill the gap. For homeowners, Texas can cost more than some income-tax states. Renters and high earners get the better end.
What is the difference between tax rate and tax burden?
The rate is the statutory percentage; the burden is what residents actually pay as a share of income. A 9 percent income tax rate with big deductions can burden less than a 5 percent flat tax with none. Burden figures also roll in property and sales taxes, which have no single headline rate.
Do I pay less tax if I move to Florida?
On a $100,000 income, Florida's 6.27 percent burden costs about $6,270 versus $12,390 in New York, a $6,120 annual saving. But compare housing, insurance (Florida homeowners insurance is among the priciest nationally), and wages in your field before deciding the move pays.
Which states have no income tax?
Nine: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire (interest and dividends only, being phased out), South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. All of them still tax you through property, sales, or excise taxes, so check the total burden, not just the income line.
How accurate is this estimate for my situation?
It is an average across all residents. Homeowners pay more property tax than renters (who pay it indirectly), big spenders pay more sales tax, and high earners in graduated states pay above the average income burden. Use it for state-to-state comparisons, not for your exact tax return.
Does this include federal taxes?
No, only state and local taxes: income, property, and sales/excise. Federal income tax is the same wherever you live (SALT deduction capped at $40,000 for 2025-2029 under current law). Add the federal layer with our paycheck calculator for the complete picture.
Why is Hawaii's tax burden so high?
Everything costs more to provide on islands, and tourists share the sales tax base, letting the state lean on consumption taxes: 7.48 percent of income goes to sales and excise, the highest in the nation. High housing values also inflate the property tax take despite moderate rates.
Should I move states to save on taxes?
Only after full math: burden difference, housing costs, wages in your occupation, and one-time moving costs. Remote workers keeping big-city salaries see the cleanest win. Everyone else should price the whole package, because low-tax states often charge more somewhere else.