Tax rates and take-home pay comparison for all Southern US states.
This ranking covers 15 states, with Florida at the top ($79,125 take-home on $100K) and Georgia at the bottom ($73,935). The spread between best and worst is $5,190/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.
| # | State | Tax Rate | Type | Take-Home | Monthly | Eff. Rate | Cost Index | Cost-Adj. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 100 | $79,125 |
| 2 | Tennessee | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 90 | $87,917 |
| 3 | Texas | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 93 | $85,081 |
| 4 | Arkansas | 3.9% | Grad. | $76,590 | $6,383 | 23.4% | 86 | $89,058 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 4.5% | Grad. | $76,200 | $6,350 | 23.8% | 87 | $87,586 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 3% | Flat | $76,125 | $6,344 | 23.9% | 91 | $83,654 |
| 7 | West Virginia | 4.82% | Grad. | $75,992 | $6,333 | 24.0% | 83 | $91,557 |
| 8 | Alabama | 5% | Grad. | $75,875 | $6,323 | 24.1% | 88 | $86,222 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 3.5% | Flat | $75,625 | $6,302 | 24.4% | 90 | $84,028 |
| 10 | Maryland | 5.75% | Grad. | $75,388 | $6,282 | 24.6% | 112 | $67,310 |
| 11 | Virginia | 5.75% | Grad. | $75,388 | $6,282 | 24.6% | 103 | $73,192 |
| 12 | South Carolina | 6% | Grad. | $75,225 | $6,269 | 24.8% | 92 | $81,766 |
| 13 | North Carolina | 3.99% | Flat | $75,135 | $6,261 | 24.9% | 95 | $79,089 |
| 14 | Mississippi | 4% | Flat | $75,125 | $6,260 | 24.9% | 83 | $90,512 |
| 15 | Georgia | 5.19% | Flat | $73,935 | $6,161 | 26.1% | 93 | $79,500 |