All 50 States Ranked by Take-Home Pay in 2026
On a $75,000 salary, where you live determines whether you keep $61,149 or $54,174 of it after tax — a gap of $6,975 a year based purely on which state you call home. We ran every state's 2026 income tax rate through the same federal-tax-plus-FICA calculation to build a single, complete ranking: all 50 states, side by side, from the highest take-home pay to the lowest.
The Full Ranking: $75,000 Salary, Single Filer, 2026
This table assumes a single filer earning $75,000/year with the standard deduction, no other adjustments. It includes 2026 federal income tax and FICA (7.65%) plus each state's income tax. State figures use each state's flat-equivalent effective rate for comparison purposes — for an exact figure including your specific deductions, use the linked calculator for your state.
| 1. Alaska | 0% (no tax) | $61,149 |
| 2. Florida | 0% (no tax) | $61,149 |
| 3. Nevada | 0% (no tax) | $61,149 |
| 4. New Hampshire | 0% (no tax) | $61,149 |
| 5. South Dakota | 0% (no tax) | $61,149 |
| 6. Tennessee | 0% (no tax) | $61,149 |
| 7. Texas | 0% (no tax) | $61,149 |
| 8. Washington | 0% (no tax) | $61,149 |
| 9. Wyoming | 0% (no tax) | $61,149 |
| 10. Arizona | 2.5% | $59,274 |
| 11. North Dakota | 2.5% | $59,274 |
| 12. Louisiana | 3% | $58,899 |
| 13. Indiana | 3.05% | $58,861 |
| 14. Pennsylvania | 3.07% | $58,846 |
| 15. Ohio | 3.5% | $58,524 |
| 16. Iowa | 3.8% | $58,299 |
| 17. Nebraska | 3.84% | $58,269 |
| 18. Arkansas | 3.9% | $58,224 |
| 19. Kentucky | 4% | $58,149 |
| 20. Michigan | 4.05% | $58,111 |
| 21. North Carolina | 4.25% | $57,961 |
| 22. Colorado | 4.4% | $57,849 |
| 23. Wisconsin | 4.4% | $57,849 |
| 24. Utah | 4.55% | $57,736 |
| 25. Mississippi | 4.7% | $57,624 |
| 26. Missouri | 4.7% | $57,624 |
| 27. Maryland | 4.75% | $57,586 |
| 28. Oklahoma | 4.75% | $57,586 |
| 29. New Mexico | 4.9% | $57,474 |
| 30. Illinois | 4.95% | $57,436 |
| 31. Alabama | 5% | $57,399 |
| 32. Connecticut | 5% | $57,399 |
| 33. Massachusetts | 5% | $57,399 |
| 34. West Virginia | 5.12% | $57,309 |
| 35. Kansas | 5.2% | $57,249 |
| 36. Georgia | 5.49% | $57,031 |
| 37. Delaware | 5.5% | $57,024 |
| 38. New Jersey | 5.525% | $57,005 |
| 39. Virginia | 5.75% | $56,836 |
| 40. Idaho | 5.8% | $56,799 |
| 41. Montana | 5.9% | $56,724 |
| 42. Rhode Island | 5.99% | $56,656 |
| 43. South Carolina | 6.2% | $56,499 |
| 44. Vermont | 6.6% | $56,199 |
| 45. Minnesota | 6.8% | $56,049 |
| 46. New York | 6.85% | $56,011 |
| 47. Maine | 7.15% | $55,786 |
| 48. Hawaii | 8.25% | $54,961 |
| 49. Oregon | 8.75% | $54,586 |
| 50. California | 9.3% | $54,174 |
How Much Does Rank Actually Matter?
Less than the headline number suggests, in most cases. The gap between the #1 states and #10 (Arizona, at 2.5%) is about $1,875/year. The gap only becomes dramatic at the extremes — between the no-tax states and California, Oregon, or Hawaii, where it's $6,000–$7,000/year on a $75k salary. For most people moving between two mid-table states (say, Georgia to Virginia), the income tax difference is a few hundred dollars a year — easily outweighed by rent, commute, or job opportunity differences.
Why Ranking Position Isn't the Same as "Best State"
This ranking measures one variable: state income tax on a $75,000 W-2 salary. It does not account for property tax, sales tax, cost of living, or the quality of public services your tax dollars fund. Several states near the top of this list (Texas, Tennessee) have above-average property or sales tax that claws back some of the income-tax advantage. Several states near the bottom (California, New York) have higher average wages that can offset their tax rate in absolute dollars. For a fuller picture of the tradeoffs in the no-tax states specifically, see our deep dive on the 9 no-income-tax states.
Methodology
Take-home pay = $75,000 gross salary, minus 2026 federal income tax (computed via the current IRS brackets and standard deduction for a single filer), minus FICA (7.65% combined Social Security and Medicare), minus state income tax at each state's effective flat-equivalent rate. We did not model city/local income taxes (e.g. NYC, Philadelphia), tax credits, or itemized deductions — those can meaningfully change your specific number. For your exact, personalized breakdown including filing status, 401(k), and other deductions, use the full Salary Calculator for your state.