TakeHomeTax

Best Midwest States for Take-Home Pay (2026)

Tax rates and take-home pay comparison for all Midwest US states.

#1 State
South Dakota
$79,125 take-home
States Ranked
12
Median: Iowa
Spread
$6,403
#1 vs #12 difference

Key Takeaways

This ranking covers 12 states, with South Dakota at the top ($79,125 take-home on $100K) and Minnesota at the bottom ($72,723). The spread between best and worst is $6,403/year.

The ranking is influenced by state income tax rates, tax structure (flat vs graduated), local taxes, and in cost-adjusted rankings, the cost of living index. States with no income tax generally rank highest for raw take-home pay, but cost adjustments can shuffle the order significantly.

Full Rankings

#StateTax RateTypeTake-HomeMonthlyEff. RateCost IndexCost-Adj.
1South Dakota0%None$79,125$6,59420.9%92$86,005
2North Dakota2.5%Grad.$77,500$6,45822.5%92$84,239
3Ohio2.75%Flat$76,375$6,36523.6%90$84,861
4Indiana2.95%Flat$76,175$6,34823.8%90$84,639
5Nebraska4.55%Grad.$76,168$6,34723.8%91$83,701
6Kansas5.58%Grad.$75,498$6,29224.5%90$83,887
7Iowa3.8%Flat$75,325$6,27724.7%89$84,635
8Missouri4%Flat$75,125$6,26024.9%89$84,410
9Michigan4.25%Flat$74,875$6,24025.1%91$82,280
10Illinois4.95%Flat$74,175$6,18125.8%93$79,758
11Wisconsin7.65%Grad.$74,153$6,17925.8%93$79,734
12Minnesota9.85%Grad.$72,723$6,06027.3%99$73,457
Pro Tip
Use the take-home calculator to model your specific salary and filing status. Rankings based on $100K may look different at your actual income level, especially in graduated-tax states.

Related Rankings

Best Southern States for Take-Home PayBest Western States for Take-Home PayBest Northeast States for Take-Home Pay9 States With No Income TaxStates With Flat Income Tax RatesStates With Graduated Income Tax
The Take-Home Tax Guide
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