Which states leave you with the most (2026)
Your federal income tax and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) are the same wherever you live — the difference between states is state income tax. At an $80,000 salary that gap is worth about $6,426 a year between the most and least tax-friendly state in this table: you'd keep roughly $65,110 in Texas but only about $58,684 in Oregon.
The calculator above re-ranks every state for your salary. The table below is the fixed snapshot at $80,000 (single filer), tax liability rather than withholding.
| # | State | Take-home / year | Per month | % kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas · no state tax | $65,110 | $5,426 | 81.4% |
| 2 | Florida · no state tax | $65,110 | $5,426 | 81.4% |
| 3 | Washington · no state tax | $65,110 | $5,426 | 81.4% |
| 4 | Nevada · no state tax | $65,110 | $5,426 | 81.4% |
| 5 | Tennessee · no state tax | $65,110 | $5,426 | 81.4% |
| 6 | Ohio | $63,626 | $5,302 | 79.5% |
| 7 | Arizona | $63,319 | $5,277 | 79.1% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $62,654 | $5,221 | 78.3% |
| 9 | North Carolina | $62,427 | $5,202 | 78.0% |
| 10 | Colorado | $62,298 | $5,192 | 77.9% |
| 11 | New Jersey | $62,204 | $5,184 | 77.8% |
| 12 | Michigan | $61,961 | $5,163 | 77.5% |
| 13 | Maryland | $61,674 | $5,139 | 77.1% |
| 14 | California | $61,658 | $5,138 | 77.1% |
| 15 | Georgia | $61,581 | $5,132 | 77.0% |
| 16 | Connecticut | $61,460 | $5,122 | 76.8% |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $61,330 | $5,111 | 76.7% |
| 18 | New York | $61,328 | $5,111 | 76.7% |
| 19 | Virginia | $61,324 | $5,110 | 76.7% |
| 20 | Illinois | $61,291 | $5,108 | 76.6% |
| 21 | Minnesota | $61,193 | $5,099 | 76.5% |
| 22 | Oregon | $58,684 | $4,890 | 73.4% |
The nine no-income-tax states
Nine states levy no tax on wage income — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. They top the take-home table, but many make up the revenue elsewhere: Texas and Florida lean on high property and sales taxes, Washington adds a capital-gains tax on large investment profits, and Tennessee has one of the highest sales-tax rates in the country. A higher paycheck doesn't always mean a lower total tax bill once property and sales tax are counted.
Why high-tax states still attract workers
States like California, New York, Oregon and Minnesota sit lower in the table, but salaries there are often higher, and state taxes fund services that shape the real cost of living. The right comparison is your after-tax pay against local costs, not the tax rate alone — use the per-state pages linked in the table for each state's specific quirks (local city taxes, disability insurance, deductions).
How we work it out
For each state we take your salary, subtract the 2026 federal income tax (after the $16,100 standard deduction), Social Security (6.2% to the $184,500 wage base), Medicare (1.45%) and that state's own income tax and deductions. It's a single-filer estimate of tax liability and excludes local/city taxes, 401(k) and other deductions.
Which state has the highest take-home pay?
Among the states shown, the no-income-tax states (Texas, Florida, Washington, Nevada, Tennessee) leave the most in your paycheck, since you only pay federal tax and FICA. Remember they often recoup it through property or sales taxes.
How much more do I keep in a no-tax state?
At $80,000 it's roughly $6,426 a year between the best and worst state in this table. The gap widens as your salary rises, because progressive state taxes take a bigger share at higher incomes.
Does this include city and local taxes?
No — it's federal, FICA and state income tax only. Cities like New York City, and many in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Maryland, add local income taxes that would lower the take-home shown here.
More United States calculators
This comparison provides single-filer estimates for 2026 based on IRS (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), SSA and state figures, and is for general information only — not financial or tax advice. It shows tax liability, not paycheck withholding, and excludes local/city taxes, state disability, 401(k) and other deductions and credits. Sources: IRS, SSA, state Departments of Revenue.