Side-by-side state comparison
Massachusetts vs New Hampshire Paycheck Comparison (2026)
Enter a salary below to see the take-home pay difference between Massachusetts and New Hampshire for 2026, broken down line by line.
Popular Comparisons
New Hampshire takes home more
more per year vs. Massachusetts · $437/mo · $202/paycheck
5-Year Difference
$26,200
This estimate is for planning purposes only and does not constitute tax or financial advice. Actual paycheck withholding depends on your employer's payroll system, custom W-4 elections, additional income, and personal tax situation. For specific tax-planning decisions, consult a licensed CPA or tax professional.
Quick answer
At $100,000 single, New Hampshire residents take home about $5,240 more per year than Massachusetts residents (roughly $437 per month). Massachusetts charges a 5% flat state income tax plus Massachusetts PFML; New Hampshire taxes neither wage income nor (since the phase-out) investment income, leaving the state line at zero.
Massachusetts and New Hampshire are neighbors with very different paycheck shapes. Massachusetts levies a 5% flat state income tax on wage earnings, plus a Millionaire Surtax that applies only to very high incomes (not relevant at $100,000), and Massachusetts PFML as a small employee-side contribution. New Hampshire taxes wages at zero; the older Interest and Dividends Tax on investment income was phased out, so a New Hampshire wage earner sees only federal tax and FICA on the state-side row. At $100,000 single, a New Hampshire resident takes home $79,180 versus a Massachusetts resident's $73,940, a gap of $5,240 per year, or about $437 per month. The federal income tax line is identical at the same gross salary; the gap shown is purely the Massachusetts state-side stack. Across the salary range, the dollar gap scales roughly linearly with income under MA's flat structure: $2,510 at $50k single grows to $13,129 at $250k. Boston-area workers often weigh the paycheck math against New Hampshire's higher property taxes and longer commute when picking where to live.
At $100,000 single filer, take-home difference
Moving from Massachusetts to New Hampshire saves approximately $5,240 per year at $100,000 single.
Computed from the tax engine with 2026 federal brackets, FICA, and state tax. Standard deduction, no pre-tax contributions.
How the state tax structures compare
| Feature | Massachusetts | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| State structure | 5 percent flat plus millionaire surtax | No tax on wages (interest/dividends tax phased out) |
| Taxes wages? | Yes | No |
Take-home at four common salary points
Single filer, 2026 brackets, standard deduction, no pre-tax contributions. Delta is New Hampshire take-home minus Massachusetts take-home.
| Salary | Massachusetts | New Hampshire | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $39,845 | $42,355 | +$2,510 |
| $100,000 | $73,940 | $79,180 | +$5,240 |
| $150,000 | $105,821 | $113,791 | +$7,970 |
| $250,000 | $170,053 | $183,182 | +$13,129 |
What this comparison includes
This comparison computes 2026 take-home pay in Massachusetts and New Hampshire side by side, using 2026 federal brackets after the standard deduction, FICA contributions (Social Security up to the annual wage base, Medicare on all wages, plus the Additional Medicare Tax above the filing-status threshold), and each state's income tax schedule along with any state-administered payroll programs and supported local layers. It excludes employer-side payroll taxes, custom W-4 elections, supplemental-wage handling for bonuses or equity vesting, and income from sources other than W-2 wages. City-level taxes are layered only on the dedicated metro pages; this comparison covers state-and-typical-local figures only, so a worker considering a specific metro should follow the relevant city link in the See also section.
Massachusetts vs New Hampshire FAQ
How much more is take-home in New Hampshire than Massachusetts at $100,000?
Does the MA vs NH gap scale linearly with salary?
Does this comparison include local taxes?
How does married filing jointly, head of household, or filing separately change the MA vs NH gap?
What about cost-of-living differences between MA and NH?
How does MA vs NH compare to Connecticut vs Massachusetts or Rhode Island vs Massachusetts?
See also
Reviewed
How This Page Is Reviewed
The Massachusetts vs New Hampshire comparison is reviewed against primary federal and state sources before each major tax-year update. Source links below are the references used to validate brackets, wage bases, and supported local taxes.
Reviewed by
PaycheckCalc Research Desk
Last reviewed
2026-07-12