PaycheckCalc
Side-by-Side Tax Comparison

Compare Take-Home PayBetween Any Two Locations

See exactly how much more (or less) you’d take home if you relocated. Compares federal, state, and local taxes side by side using 2026 tax law.

Popular Comparisons

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Location A
Location B
No state income tax

Enter a salary to compare

Pick two locations above and enter your annual salary to see the take-home pay difference.

Relocation math runs on tax structure first. The same $100,000 single salary takes home about $77,000 in Texas, $69,000 in California, and figures in between for most progressive-tax states. The gap is concentrated in the state income tax line plus any local layer; federal income tax and FICA hit identically across locations. The calculator above compares any two US locations side by side: pick two states (with optional city), enter a salary and filing status, and see federal, Social Security, Medicare, state, local, and state-administered payroll lines broken down for each side. The winner banner shows the take-home delta per year, per month, and per pay period, plus the five-year cumulative gap. 30 pre-built state-vs-state pair pages link below for the most common relocation queries (CA vs TX, FL vs NY, IL vs IN, etc.). Comparison pages do not model cost-of-living differences; the dollar gap shown is the tax-only impact at equal gross.

Popular paycheck comparisons

Pre-built state-vs-state comparisons

Each comparison page shows the headline relocation gap, a side-by-side state structure table, and take-home math at four common salary points.

California vs Texas paycheck comparisonMoving from California to Texas saves approximately $7,142 per year at $100k single.Florida vs New York paycheck comparisonMoving from New York to Florida saves approximately $5,817 per year at $100k single.Illinois vs Indiana paycheck comparisonMoving from Illinois to Indiana saves approximately $2,000 per year at $100k single.Massachusetts vs New Hampshire paycheck comparisonMoving from Massachusetts to New Hampshire saves approximately $5,460 per year at $100k single.Oregon vs Washington paycheck comparisonMoving from Oregon to Washington saves approximately $8,021 per year at $100k single.Arizona vs California paycheck comparisonMoving from California to Arizona saves approximately $4,642 per year at $100k single.California vs Colorado paycheck comparisonMoving from California to Colorado saves approximately $2,292 per year at $100k single.California vs Nevada paycheck comparisonMoving from California to Nevada saves approximately $7,142 per year at $100k single.California vs Washington paycheck comparisonMoving from California to Washington saves approximately $6,122 per year at $100k single.Colorado vs Massachusetts paycheck comparisonMoving from Massachusetts to Colorado saves approximately $610 per year at $100k single.Colorado vs New York paycheck comparisonMoving from New York to Colorado saves approximately $967 per year at $100k single.Connecticut vs New Jersey paycheck comparisonMoving from Connecticut to New Jersey saves approximately $514 per year at $100k single.Connecticut vs New York paycheck comparisonMoving from New York to Connecticut saves approximately $567 per year at $100k single.District of Columbia vs Maryland paycheck comparisonMoving from Maryland to District of Columbia saves approximately $648 per year at $100k single.Florida vs Georgia paycheck comparisonMoving from Georgia to Florida saves approximately $5,190 per year at $100k single.Florida vs Illinois paycheck comparisonMoving from Illinois to Florida saves approximately $4,950 per year at $100k single.Florida vs Massachusetts paycheck comparisonMoving from Massachusetts to Florida saves approximately $5,460 per year at $100k single.Florida vs New Jersey paycheck comparisonMoving from New Jersey to Florida saves approximately $4,736 per year at $100k single.Florida vs Pennsylvania paycheck comparisonMoving from Pennsylvania to Florida saves approximately $3,070 per year at $100k single.Florida vs Texas paycheck comparisonTake-home is essentially equal at $100k single between Florida and Texas.Illinois vs Texas paycheck comparisonMoving from Illinois to Texas saves approximately $4,950 per year at $100k single.Indiana vs Michigan paycheck comparisonMoving from Michigan to Indiana saves approximately $1,300 per year at $100k single.Indiana vs Ohio paycheck comparisonMoving from Indiana to Ohio saves approximately $916 per year at $100k single.Kentucky vs Ohio paycheck comparisonMoving from Kentucky to Ohio saves approximately $1,466 per year at $100k single.Maryland vs Virginia paycheck comparisonMoving from Maryland to Virginia saves approximately $2,055 per year at $100k single.Massachusetts vs North Carolina paycheck comparisonMoving from Massachusetts to North Carolina saves approximately $1,470 per year at $100k single.Minnesota vs Wisconsin paycheck comparisonMoving from Minnesota to Wisconsin saves approximately $1,824 per year at $100k single.New Jersey vs New York paycheck comparisonMoving from New York to New Jersey saves approximately $1,082 per year at $100k single.New Jersey vs Pennsylvania paycheck comparisonMoving from New Jersey to Pennsylvania saves approximately $1,666 per year at $100k single.Oklahoma vs Texas paycheck comparisonMoving from Oklahoma to Texas saves approximately $4,562 per year at $100k single.

Frequently asked questions

Which states have the lowest paycheck taxes?
Nine states levy no broad-based personal income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. These nine produce the highest take-home at every salary tier on the same gross, since the state income tax line reads zero. Federal tax and FICA hit identically across all states.
How much more would I take home if I moved to a no-tax state?
The gap depends on salary and origin state. A single filer at $100,000 moving from California to Texas keeps about $7,500 more per year; from New York to Florida about $5,500; from Illinois to Indiana about $1,100 (both states levy state income tax, but rates differ). Run the calculator above for your exact pair.
Does the tax gap change with salary?
Yes. Flat-rate states scale the gap linearly with income. Progressive-state gaps grow faster at higher salaries because the top bracket reaches in. The Social Security wage base ($184,500 in 2026) caps the 6.2% line, so very high earners see a narrower gap between high-tax and no-tax states than mid-income workers do.
Are city or local taxes included in the comparison?
Yes, when you pick a city on either side. NYC, Philadelphia, Detroit, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Yonkers, and Wilmington (among 68 supported cities) layer their local income tax on the comparison. If you leave the city dropdown blank, only the parent state's bracket schedule applies on that side.
Are there pre-built pages for specific state pairs?
30 pre-built state-vs-state pair pages link below, covering the most-searched relocation queries. Each pair page shows the take-home gap at four common salary tiers ($50k, $75k, $100k, $150k, with $200k or $250k swapped in for high-income pairs), the structural drivers of the difference, and a comparison calculator pre-set to the pair.
Why might a no-tax state still cost more to live in?
Cost of living can outweigh the tax gap. A Texas resident saves the California state income tax line on a $100,000 salary, but Austin, Houston, and Dallas housing markets, property taxes, and sales tax can offset the savings. This comparison shows tax impact only; it does not model rent, property tax, or daily expenses.

How to use relocation comparisons well

Start with the same gross salary in both locations. Then focus on the components that move the result the most: state income tax, city tax, and whether Social Security is already capped. If you are comparing two offers with different pay, compare them once at equal salary and once at the actual offer amounts.

This page is best for isolating tax impact. It is not a full relocation model and does not include rent, childcare, housing, or commuting costs.

What drives the biggest gaps

  • High-income states with steep top brackets
  • City taxes layered on top of state tax
  • No-tax states such as Texas, Florida, or Washington
  • The point where Social Security withholding stops for higher earners

Reviewed

How This Page Is Reviewed

The compare page is reviewed against the same primary tax sources used by the main calculator, with additional checks on local payroll taxes in supported jurisdictions.

Reviewed by

PaycheckCalc Research Desk

Last reviewed

2026-05-28

Need more context?

Review the full methodology, then return here once you know which federal and local rules matter for your situation.

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