United States

Moving to Another State? How Your Take-Home Pay Changes

What changes and what doesn't when you move between US states, with the take-home change on a $100,000 salary for six common moves and a step-by-step way to check your own.

By The Taxolase Team Published September 19, 2026 6 min read US Tax, State Income Tax, Relocating, Take-Home Pay

What changes when you move, and what doesn't

A move changes your state income tax and possibly local taxes, sales tax and property tax. It does not change your federal income tax or FICA: a single filer on $100,000 pays the same to the federal government in every state. So the first thing to work out is how big the state income tax difference is for your income.

Six common moves on a $100,000 salary

This table shows the state income tax before and after each move, and the change in take-home pay, for a single filer on $100,000 claiming the standard deduction:

Change in take-home pay on a $100,000 salary when moving between states, single filer
Move	State tax before	State tax after	Take-home change
California → Texas	$5,055	$0	+$5,055
New York → Florida	$4,860	$0	+$4,860
Oregon → Nevada	$7,177	$0	+$7,177
Illinois → Tennessee	$4,805	$0	+$4,805
Massachusetts → New Hampshire	$4,780	$0	+$4,780
Minnesota → Wyoming	$5,277	$0	+$5,277

Moving from a high-tax state to a state without a wage income tax raises take-home pay by the amount of state tax you stop paying. Moving between two taxing states can go either way. The gap grows with income, because state brackets rise.

The order of magnitude to expect

At a middle income the state income tax difference between the best and worst state is a few thousand dollars a year. That is real money but often smaller than the difference in rent, housing prices or commuting costs between two places, so treat the tax as one input rather than the whole answer.

Costs the table leaves out

Take-home pay is only part of what a move changes. Before you decide, add the things an income tax comparison cannot see:

Housing: rent or purchase prices and property tax.
Sales tax and the price of everyday goods.
Local income taxes, such as New York City's or county taxes in some states.
State payroll taxes for disability or family leave in some states.
Insurance, utilities, transport and childcare.
Your salary: employers often set pay by local market, so a move can change your income.

Residency rules and timing

Your tax status does not switch on the day you move. States have their own rules for when you become a resident and when you stop being one, and in the year of a move you may owe tax to both. If a move could change your tax bill materially, read both states' residency guidance on their revenue department websites and consider speaking with a qualified tax professional.

How to check your own move

A quick way to estimate the difference for your situation:

Open the calculator, choose your current state, enter your salary and filing status, and note your take-home pay.
Change the state to the one you are considering and compare the take-home figure.
Add the non-income-tax costs above for both places.
Check the state pages for anything special about either state, such as head-of-household rules or high-income surtaxes.

A caution about the numbers

State tax figures change, sometimes mid-year, and our estimates leave out local taxes and most credits. Each state page says what its estimate excludes and which figures were confirmed against the state's own revenue department. Treat the result as a starting point and confirm the details for any decision that involves a lot of money.

Sources

Figures were last checked against these sources on September 19, 2026. See our methodology for how the calculator uses them.

Estimate only. This is an approximation, not a tax return or professional advice, and may not reflect every credit, exemption, or recent law change. Verify with your tax authority or a qualified professional before relying on it. Read the full disclaimer or see how it's calculated.