Net Worth by State 2026
We compute how far a $100,000 salary goes in each state after federal income tax, state income tax, FICA, property tax, sales tax, and cost-of-living adjustment. Ranks all 50 states by residual income — the real purchasing power left after the government and local prices take their share.
All 50 states ranked by real disposable income on $100,000
Scenario: married filing jointly, $100,000 gross income, $400,000 home, $40,000 taxable spending. Federal income tax uses the 2026 married-filing-jointly brackets and the $32,200 standard deduction (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32); no itemized deductions are modelled, so the SALT cap does not bind. Cost-of-living adjustment uses BEA Regional Price Parities by state (2024, all items), where the national average = 100.
| Rank | State | Income Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Total Tax | COL Index | Real Disposable | vs Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | $2,227.5 | $2,000 | $2,040 | $21,557.5 | 88.2 | $88,937 | 113 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $0 | $2,000 | $3,920 | $21,210 | 89 | $88,528 | 112 |
| 3 | South Dakota | $0 | $1,680 | $4,680 | $21,650 | 88.6 | $88,431 | 112 |
| 4 | Arkansas | $3,119.32 | $2,600 | $2,280 | $23,289.32 | 86.9 | $88,275 | 112 |
| 5 | Alabama | $3,310 | $1,600 | $1,480 | $21,680 | 88.8 | $88,198 | 112 |
| 6 | Mississippi | $2,936 | $2,800 | $2,600 | $23,626 | 87 | $87,786 | 111 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $0 | $1,600 | $2,280 | $19,170 | 92.7 | $87,195 | 111 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $0 | $2,800 | $2,240 | $20,330 | 91.9 | $86,692 | 110 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $3,409 | $1,800 | $3,400 | $23,899 | 87.8 | $86,675 | 110 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $3,599.3 | $2,400 | $2,200 | $23,489.3 | 89.5 | $85,487 | 109 |
| 11 | Missouri | $2,952.11 | $1,690 | $3,520 | $23,452.11 | 90.8 | $84,304 | 107 |
| 12 | Iowa | $2,496.4 | $2,400 | $5,880 | $26,066.4 | 87.8 | $84,207 | 107 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $3,382.4 | $2,400 | $3,200 | $24,272.4 | 90.2 | $83,955 | 107 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $2,575.6 | $2,050 | $2,680 | $22,595.6 | 92.2 | $83,953 | 107 |
| 15 | Montana | $3,186.6 | $0 | $2,960 | $21,436.6 | 94.6 | $83,048 | 105 |
| 16 | South Carolina | $2,566.38 | $2,400 | $2,120 | $22,376.38 | 93.7 | $82,843 | 105 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $2,483.16 | $2,200 | $6,320 | $26,293.16 | 90.1 | $81,806 | 104 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $2,972.55 | $1,900 | $2,920 | $23,082.55 | 94.3 | $81,567 | 104 |
| 19 | Indiana | $2,891 | $2,800 | $3,160 | $24,141 | 93.3 | $81,307 | 103 |
| 20 | Kansas | $3,923.15 | $2,600 | $5,280 | $27,093.15 | 90.1 | $80,918 | 103 |
| 21 | Ohio | $1,929.13 | $2,300 | $5,440 | $24,959.13 | 92.8 | $80,863 | 103 |
| 22 | Idaho | $3,083.43 | $2,400 | $2,320 | $23,093.43 | 95.5 | $80,530 | 102 |
| 23 | Nevada | $0 | $2,740 | $2,120 | $20,150 | 100 | $79,850 | 101 |
| 24 | Georgia | $3,493 | $1,600 | $3,320 | $23,703 | 96.3 | $79,228 | 101 |
| 25 | Alaska | $0 | $0 | $3,920 | $19,210 | 102.4 | $78,896 | 100 |
| 26 | Texas | $0 | $2,500 | $6,400 | $24,190 | 97.1 | $78,074 | 99 |
| 27 | Arizona | $1,695 | $2,240 | $2,200 | $21,425 | 100.7 | $78,029 | 99 |
| 28 | Delaware | $4,934.5 | $0 | $2,120 | $22,344.5 | 99.8 | $77,811 | 99 |
| 29 | Utah | $3,344.46 | $2,440 | $2,320 | $23,394.46 | 98.9 | $77,458 | 98 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $3,798.04 | $2,000 | $6,440 | $27,528.04 | 94.1 | $77,016 | 98 |
| 31 | Maine | $3,393.93 | $2,200 | $4,720 | $25,603.93 | 97 | $76,697 | 97 |
| 32 | Florida | $0 | $2,400 | $3,280 | $20,970 | 103.4 | $76,431 | 97 |
| 33 | Colorado | $2,983.2 | $1,160 | $1,960 | $21,393.2 | 103.1 | $76,243 | 97 |
| 34 | Michigan | $3,748.5 | $2,400 | $5,600 | $27,038.5 | 96.2 | $75,844 | 96 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $3,070 | $2,400 | $5,720 | $26,480 | 97.6 | $75,328 | 96 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $4,013.05 | $2,750 | $4,200 | $26,253.05 | 98.6 | $74,794 | 95 |
| 37 | Virginia | $4,379.3 | $2,120 | $2,960 | $24,749.3 | 101.1 | $74,432 | 94 |
| 38 | Vermont | $2,271.3 | $2,400 | $7,120 | $27,081.3 | 98 | $74,407 | 94 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $0 | $0 | $7,440 | $22,730 | 104.2 | $74,155 | 94 |
| 40 | Washington | $0 | $2,600 | $3,360 | $21,250 | 107 | $73,598 | 93 |
| 41 | Oregon | $6,416 | $0 | $3,600 | $25,306 | 103.4 | $72,238 | 92 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $2,516.25 | $2,800 | $5,560 | $26,166.25 | 102.3 | $72,174 | 92 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $4,049.66 | $1,600 | $1,080 | $22,019.66 | 110 | $70,891 | 90 |
| 44 | Maryland | $4,075.25 | $2,400 | $3,960 | $25,725.25 | 105 | $70,738 | 90 |
| 45 | Illinois | $4,660.43 | $2,500 | $7,880 | $30,330.43 | 100 | $69,670 | 88 |
| 46 | California | $2,079.06 | $2,900 | $2,840 | $23,109.06 | 110.7 | $69,459 | 88 |
| 47 | Massachusetts | $4,560 | $2,500 | $4,480 | $26,830 | 105.8 | $69,159 | 88 |
| 48 | Connecticut | $3,920 | $2,540 | $7,800 | $29,550 | 103.6 | $68,002 | 86 |
| 49 | New York | $4,200.8 | $1,600 | $5,840 | $26,930.8 | 107.9 | $67,719 | 86 |
| 50 | New Jersey | $2,639.5 | $2,650 | $8,920 | $29,499.5 | 108.8 | $64,798 | 82 |
Real disposable income = ($100,000 − total tax) ÷ (COL index ÷ 100). National average real disposable = $78,773. Scores above/below 100 indicate better/worse purchasing power than the national average. DC excluded. Sources: IRS, BEA Regional Price Parities by state (2024).
The top 10: where your dollar goes farthest
Louisiana
Total tax: $21,557.5 · COL index: 88.2
Real disposable: $88,937
North Dakota
Total tax: $21,210 · COL index: 89
Real disposable: $88,528
South Dakota
Total tax: $21,650 · COL index: 88.6
Real disposable: $88,431
Arkansas
Total tax: $23,289.32 · COL index: 86.9
Real disposable: $88,275
Alabama
Total tax: $21,680 · COL index: 88.8
Real disposable: $88,198
Mississippi
Total tax: $23,626 · COL index: 87
Real disposable: $87,786
Wyoming
Total tax: $19,170 · COL index: 92.7
Real disposable: $87,195
Tennessee
Total tax: $20,330 · COL index: 91.9
Real disposable: $86,692
Oklahoma
Total tax: $23,899 · COL index: 87.8
Real disposable: $86,675
West Virginia
Total tax: $23,489.3 · COL index: 89.5
Real disposable: $85,487
The bottom 10: where your dollar gets squeezed
New Jersey
Total tax: $29,499.5 · COL index: 108.8
Real disposable: $64,798
New York
Total tax: $26,930.8 · COL index: 107.9
Real disposable: $67,719
Connecticut
Total tax: $29,550 · COL index: 103.6
Real disposable: $68,002
Massachusetts
Total tax: $26,830 · COL index: 105.8
Real disposable: $69,159
California
Total tax: $23,109.06 · COL index: 110.7
Real disposable: $69,459
Illinois
Total tax: $30,330.43 · COL index: 100
Real disposable: $69,670
Maryland
Total tax: $25,725.25 · COL index: 105
Real disposable: $70,738
Hawaii
Total tax: $22,019.66 · COL index: 110
Real disposable: $70,891
Rhode Island
Total tax: $26,166.25 · COL index: 102.3
Real disposable: $72,174
Oregon
Total tax: $25,306 · COL index: 103.4
Real disposable: $72,238
Key findings
- Cost of living dominates tax differences. The gap between the #1 and #50 state is driven more by housing costs (2-3× variation) than tax burden (~1.5× variation). No-income-tax states with high COL (WA, NH) rank behind low-COL states with income tax (MS, AR).
- No state income tax does not decide the ranking. Three states that levy none finish spread right across the table — Tennessee #8 (COL 91.9), Nevada #23 (COL 100), New Hampshire #39 (COL 104.2) — because price level, not the income tax line, is what moves real purchasing power at this income.
- The Midwest wins on combined tax + COL. States like MS, AR, OK, and KY combine below-average tax burden with significantly below-average COL, producing the highest real residual incomes.
- High-income states cluster at the bottom. The bottom five are New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California — high state income tax plus high prices is a double squeeze.
Methodology
Data compiled from the sources listed above. All figures cross-checked against primary data from the relevant federal and state agencies. Methodology details in the data sections above.
License: This analysis is published under CC-BY 4.0. Re-use freely with attribution to USTax Tools and a link back to this page.