Wednesday, September 9, 2026·2026 Edition
Best States for Median Income Earners (2026)
Ranked by take-home pay on each state's own median income, adjusted for cost of living.
#1 State
New Hampshire
$62,241 take-home
States Ranked
50
Median: Rhode Island
Spread
$6,569
#1 vs #50 difference
Key Takeaways
This ranking covers 50 states, with New Hampshire at the top ($62,241 take-home on $100K) and Hawaii at the bottom ($55,672). The spread between best and worst is $6,569/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
| # | State | Tax Rate | Type | Take-Home | Monthly | Eff. Rate | Cost Index | Cost-Adj. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 0% | None | $62,241 | $5,187 | 18.1% | 108 | $57,631 |
| 2 | Texas | 0% | None | $51,997 | $4,333 | 16.1% | 93 | $55,911 |
| 3 | Washington | 0% | None | $60,834 | $5,070 | 17.8% | 110 | $55,304 |
| 4 | Illinois | 4.95% | Flat | $51,331 | $4,278 | 21.0% | 93 | $55,195 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 10.75% | Grad. | $63,429 | $5,286 | 22.6% | 115 | $55,155 |
| 6 | North Dakota | 2.5% | Grad. | $50,390 | $4,199 | 16.0% | 92 | $54,772 |
| 7 | Virginia | 5.75% | Grad. | $56,033 | $4,669 | 22.2% | 103 | $54,401 |
| 8 | Connecticut | 6.99% | Grad. | $60,108 | $5,009 | 22.9% | 111 | $54,151 |
| 9 | Utah | 4.45% | Flat | $53,587 | $4,466 | 21.2% | 99 | $54,128 |
| 10 | Minnesota | 9.85% | Grad. | $53,478 | $4,456 | 21.4% | 99 | $54,018 |
| 11 | Maryland | 6.5% | Grad. | $60,419 | $5,035 | 26.3% | 112 | $53,946 |
| 12 | Wyoming | 0% | None | $50,390 | $4,199 | 16.0% | 94 | $53,606 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 5% | Flat | $62,582 | $5,215 | 23.7% | 118 | $53,036 |
| 14 | South Dakota | 0% | None | $48,783 | $4,065 | 15.9% | 92 | $53,025 |
| 15 | Iowa | 3.8% | Flat | $47,191 | $3,933 | 18.6% | 89 | $53,023 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 7.65% | Grad. | $48,280 | $4,023 | 19.5% | 93 | $51,914 |
| 17 | Colorado | 4.4% | Flat | $54,329 | $4,527 | 20.1% | 105 | $51,742 |
| 18 | Ohio | 2.75% | Flat | $46,352 | $3,863 | 17.2% | 90 | $51,503 |
| 19 | Nebraska | 4.55% | Grad. | $46,806 | $3,900 | 19.3% | 91 | $51,435 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | 3.07% | Flat | $50,094 | $4,174 | 19.2% | 98 | $51,116 |
| 21 | Michigan | 4.25% | Flat | $45,804 | $3,817 | 19.6% | 91 | $50,334 |
| 22 | Missouri | 4.7% | Grad. | $44,751 | $3,729 | 18.6% | 89 | $50,282 |
| 23 | Kansas | 5.58% | Grad. | $44,851 | $3,738 | 19.9% | 90 | $49,834 |
| 24 | Tennessee | 0% | None | $44,766 | $3,730 | 15.5% | 90 | $49,739 |
| 25 | Arizona | 2.5% | Flat | $47,736 | $3,978 | 17.7% | 97 | $49,212 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | 5.99% | Grad. | $50,847 | $4,237 | 19.3% | 105 | $48,425 |
| 27 | Nevada | 0% | None | $48,783 | $4,065 | 15.9% | 101 | $48,300 |
| 28 | Delaware | 6.6% | Grad. | $49,259 | $4,105 | 20.6% | 102 | $48,293 |
| 29 | Georgia | 5.19% | Flat | $44,892 | $3,741 | 19.8% | 93 | $48,271 |
| 30 | Florida | 0% | None | $47,980 | $3,998 | 15.8% | 100 | $47,980 |
| 31 | Indiana | 2.95% | Flat | $43,078 | $3,590 | 20.2% | 90 | $47,864 |
| 32 | Alabama | 5% | Grad. | $41,805 | $3,484 | 19.6% | 88 | $47,506 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | 4.5% | Grad. | $41,320 | $3,443 | 19.0% | 87 | $47,494 |
| 34 | Idaho | 5.3% | Flat | $44,311 | $3,693 | 19.4% | 95 | $46,643 |
| 35 | Vermont | 8.75% | Grad. | $48,799 | $4,067 | 18.7% | 105 | $46,475 |
| 36 | North Carolina | 3.99% | Flat | $43,923 | $3,660 | 18.7% | 95 | $46,235 |
| 37 | Montana | 5.65% | Grad. | $44,544 | $3,712 | 19.0% | 97 | $45,922 |
| 38 | Maine | 7.15% | Grad. | $44,737 | $3,728 | 20.1% | 98 | $45,650 |
| 39 | Arkansas | 3.9% | Grad. | $39,051 | $3,254 | 18.6% | 86 | $45,408 |
| 40 | South Carolina | 6% | Grad. | $41,706 | $3,476 | 18.2% | 92 | $45,333 |
| 41 | Kentucky | 3.5% | Flat | $40,723 | $3,394 | 18.6% | 90 | $45,247 |
| 42 | Louisiana | 3% | Flat | $40,457 | $3,371 | 17.4% | 91 | $44,458 |
| 43 | New Mexico | 5.9% | Grad. | $40,412 | $3,368 | 17.5% | 91 | $44,409 |
| 44 | Mississippi | 4% | Flat | $36,506 | $3,042 | 17.0% | 83 | $43,983 |
| 45 | West Virginia | 4.82% | Grad. | $36,280 | $3,023 | 17.5% | 83 | $43,710 |
| 46 | Oregon | 9.9% | Grad. | $47,845 | $3,987 | 24.1% | 110 | $43,496 |
| 47 | Alaska | 0% | None | $54,408 | $4,534 | 16.3% | 127 | $42,841 |
| 48 | New York | 10.9% | Grad. | $53,538 | $4,462 | 21.3% | 125 | $42,830 |
| 49 | California | 13.3% | Grad. | $60,367 | $5,031 | 22.6% | 142 | $42,512 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 11% | Grad. | $55,672 | $4,639 | 22.7% | 192 | $28,996 |
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.