TakeHomeTax

Best Western States for Take-Home Pay (2026)

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

#1 State
Alaska
$79,125 take-home
States Ranked
13
Median: New Mexico
Spread
$8,645
#1 vs #13 difference

Key Takeaways

This ranking covers 13 states, with Alaska at the top ($79,125 take-home on $100K) and California at the bottom ($70,480). The spread between best and worst is $8,645/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.
1Alaska0%None$79,125$6,59420.9%127$62,303
2Nevada0%None$79,125$6,59420.9%101$78,342
3Washington0%None$79,125$6,59420.9%110$71,932
4Wyoming0%None$79,125$6,59420.9%94$84,176
5Arizona2.5%Flat$76,625$6,38523.4%97$78,995
6Montana5.65%Grad.$75,453$6,28824.5%97$77,786
7New Mexico5.9%Grad.$75,290$6,27424.7%91$82,736
8Colorado4.4%Flat$74,725$6,22725.3%105$71,167
9Utah4.65%Flat$74,475$6,20625.5%99$75,227
10Idaho5.3%Flat$73,825$6,15226.2%95$77,711
11Hawaii11%Grad.$71,975$5,99828.0%192$37,487
12Oregon9.9%Grad.$71,190$5,93328.8%110$64,718
13California13.3%Grad.$70,480$5,87329.5%142$49,634
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 Midwest 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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