State Salary Comparison Calculator
Choose the state you live in and the state you might move to. See how much more or less you keep each year after tax, and compare rent, home values and property tax.
By Muhammad AhmadLast reviewed Oct 21, 2026Free, no sign-up
Estimate, not financial or tax advice. The result is only as good as the numbers you enter and the assumptions listed below the calculator. Rates, tax rules and lender terms change, so check big decisions with the official source or a licensed professional. See the disclaimer.
Example Calculation
A single filer earns $90,000 in California and thinks about moving to Texas. In California, federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax leave $68,005 a year. In Texas, which takes no tax on wages, the same salary leaves $72,145. That is $4,140 more a year, or $345 a month. To keep the California take-home pay, the same person would need a Texas salary of only $84,115, which is 6.5% less.
Taxes are only part of the picture. The Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey puts median rent at $2,104 a month in California and $1,475 in Texas. After a year of median rent, the Texas take-home pay is $11,688 higher than in California, a bigger gap than the tax alone.
Take-home pay change when a $90,000 earner moves
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. A plus sign means you keep more in the new state.
| Move | Take-home change per year | Per month | Salary needed to keep the old take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| California to Texas | +$4,140 | +$345 | $84,115 |
| New York to Florida | +$4,270 | +$356 | $83,931 |
| New Jersey to Florida | +$3,545 | +$295 | $84,961 |
| Illinois to Texas | +$4,310 | +$359 | $83,873 |
| Massachusetts to New Hampshire | +$4,280 | +$357 | $83,916 |
| Oregon to Washington | +$7,045 | +$587 | $79,985 |
| Minnesota to Texas | +$4,597 | +$383 | $83,466 |
| Colorado to Tennessee | +$3,252 | +$271 | $85,378 |
The moves to a state with no wage tax show the largest gains. The Washington figure is a little too high, because Washington takes about 1.4% of pay for paid leave and long-term care, and those payroll programs are not in this estimate.
How It Works
The calculator runs your salary through the same paycheck engine as the Paycheck Calculator, once for each state. For each state it takes out 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, and that state’s income tax, using the state’s own brackets, standard deduction and personal exemptions. The difference between the two take-home figures is what a move does to your pay if your salary stays the same.
The second number, the salary you would need in the new state, answers a different question: how much could your pay change and still leave you with the same take-home pay? A negative change means you could take a pay cut and keep the same money after tax.
Below the results, a table puts other costs next to the tax. Median rent, median home value and real estate tax come from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for the whole state, and the sales tax rate is the Tax Foundation average of the state and local rates in January 2026. They are medians for a whole state, so a big city can be far above them and a small town far below. They help to compare two states in general, not two specific addresses.
A move can change more than taxes. Pay for the same job differs by state, groceries and gas cost different amounts, and a new state may tax the income you still earn from your old one. If you move during a year, you may be a part-year resident of both states. Check the rules of each state’s tax agency before you decide.
Formula Explained
take-home change = take-home pay in the new state - take-home pay in the current state, with take-home pay worked out for the same salary, filing status and 401(k) percent in both.
salary needed in the new state is the salary whose take-home pay equals your current take-home pay. It is found the same way as in the Net to Gross Salary Calculator, by searching for the salary that gives the target.
take-home after rent = take-home pay - 12 x median monthly rent.
Assumptions and limits
- Tax year 2026. Federal brackets and the standard deduction come from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32.
- State income tax uses each state’s 2026 brackets, standard deduction and personal exemptions for a typical wage earner (Tax Foundation). Local taxes and state payroll programs are not included.
- Rent, home value and real estate tax are 2024 medians for the whole state (American Community Survey, 1-year estimates). Sales tax is the average combined rate on January 1, 2026.
- The salary stays the same in both states. In real life the same job can pay more or less in another place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth moving to a state with no income tax?
Often the tax saving is real: a single filer on $90,000 keeps about $4,140 more a year in Texas than in California. But taxes are one cost among many. Property tax, sales tax, rent, insurance and the pay you can earn in the new place all matter. Use the table under the results to compare them, and then compare real prices for the town you have in mind.
Which states have no income tax on wages?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming do not tax wages. That does not make them low-tax places for everyone: Washington has a capital gains tax, and several of these states have high sales or property tax. New Hampshire stopped taxing interest and dividends after 2024.
How much would I save moving from California to Texas?
On $90,000 a single filer keeps about $4,140 more a year, or $345 a month. On $150,000 the gap is about $9,720 a year. These are estimates with the standard deduction and no 401(k).
What salary in Texas equals $100,000 in California?
A single filer who takes home the same amount in both states needs a Texas salary of about $92,793 to match $100,000 in California. That is a pay cut of about $7,207 with the same take-home pay.
What salary in Florida equals $90,000 in New York?
Florida, like Texas, takes no wage tax. A single filer on $90,000 in New York keeps about $4,270 less a year than in Florida, so a Florida salary of about $83,931 leaves the same take-home pay. New York City and Yonkers also have their own local income tax, which this calculator does not include.
Do states with no income tax have higher other taxes?
Sometimes. The Census Bureau’s 2024 data shows the median Texas homeowner pays 1.31% of the home’s value in real estate tax, against 0.71% in California. Average combined sales tax rates are 8.20% in Texas and 8.99% in California. Renters pay property tax through their rent, so it matters to them too.
Does this calculator include cost of living?
Only in part. It shows median rent, home value, real estate tax and sales tax for each state, but not the price of groceries, gas, child care or health care. A full cost-of-living comparison needs your own budget for the place you plan to live.
Where do the rent and home value numbers come from?
They are medians for each state from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates. The sales tax rates are the Tax Foundation’s average combined state and local rates for January 1, 2026.
Will I still owe tax to my old state after I move?
It depends. A part-year resident can owe tax to both states on the income earned while living there. Some states also tax income earned inside their borders by people who live elsewhere, and a few have agreements with neighbors. Check the website of the tax agency in each state, or ask a tax professional.
Does the calculator include city and county taxes?
No. Some cities and counties, such as New York City, Philadelphia and many Ohio and Indiana localities, charge their own income tax. The state pages of the Paycheck Calculator list the ones we have official rates for.
How accurate is it?
It is an estimate for one job with the standard deduction. It leaves out local taxes, state disability and paid-leave programs, itemized deductions and other income. Use it to compare, and use your own payroll figures when you decide.
Think a number is wrong? Tell me what you typed and what you expected, and I will check it.
Methodology and sources
The calculator runs your salary through the Paycheck Calculator engine for both states and compares the take-home pay. The salary needed in the new state is found by searching for the salary whose take-home pay equals your current one. Rent, home value, real estate tax and sales tax come from the Census Bureau and the Tax Foundation.
- Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (2026 inflation adjustments: brackets, standard deduction, credits), Internal Revenue Service
- State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026, Tax Foundation
- American Community Survey, 1-year estimates, 2024 (tables B24021, B19013, B25064, B25077 and B25103), U.S. Census Bureau
- State and local sales tax rates, 2026, Tax Foundation
Last reviewed Oct 21, 2026 by Muhammad Ahmad. The page is checked again when the source figures change and at least once a year. See the corrections log, or report a mistake.
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