Wednesday, September 9, 2026·2026 Edition
States With the Lowest Take-Home Pay (2026)
These states take the biggest bite from your paycheck. See how much you'd actually keep.
#1 State
Oregon
$70,932 take-home
States Ranked
50
Median: Nebraska
Spread
$-8,193
#1 vs #50 difference
Key Takeaways
These states take the biggest bite from your paycheck. Oregon has the lowest take-home on $100K at $70,932, with an effective rate of 29.1%. High state income tax rates, combined with local taxes in some cases, drive these states to the bottom of the ranking.
The pattern is clear: states with graduated brackets and top rates above 8% dominate this list. Oregon (9.9%), Maryland (6.5%), Hawaii (11%) are the costliest. States with local taxes like Oregon, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Indiana, Alabama, Michigan, Missouri, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio face an additional burden beyond the state rate.
Full Rankings
| # | State | Tax Rate | Type | Take-Home | Monthly | Eff. Rate | Cost Index | Cost-Adj. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | 9.9% | Grad. | $70,932 | $5,911 | 29.1% | 110 | $64,484 |
| 2 | Maryland | 6.5% | Grad. | $71,687 | $5,974 | 28.3% | 112 | $64,006 |
| 3 | Hawaii | 11% | Grad. | $73,242 | $6,103 | 26.8% | 192 | $38,147 |
| 4 | Maine | 7.15% | Grad. | $73,635 | $6,136 | 26.4% | 98 | $75,137 |
| 5 | California | 13.3% | Grad. | $73,798 | $6,150 | 26.2% | 142 | $51,970 |
| 6 | Minnesota | 9.85% | Grad. | $73,814 | $6,151 | 26.2% | 99 | $74,559 |
| 7 | Delaware | 6.6% | Grad. | $73,918 | $6,160 | 26.1% | 102 | $72,468 |
| 8 | Virginia | 5.75% | Grad. | $74,121 | $6,177 | 25.9% | 103 | $71,962 |
| 9 | New York | 10.9% | Grad. | $74,265 | $6,189 | 25.7% | 125 | $59,412 |
| 10 | Illinois | 4.95% | Flat | $74,316 | $6,193 | 25.7% | 93 | $79,910 |
| 11 | Kansas | 5.58% | Grad. | $74,345 | $6,195 | 25.7% | 90 | $82,605 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 5% | Flat | $74,345 | $6,195 | 25.7% | 118 | $63,004 |
| 13 | Connecticut | 6.99% | Grad. | $74,375 | $6,198 | 25.6% | 111 | $67,005 |
| 14 | Indiana | 2.95% | Flat | $74,472 | $6,206 | 25.5% | 90 | $82,747 |
| 15 | Georgia | 5.19% | Flat | $74,558 | $6,213 | 25.4% | 93 | $80,170 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 7.65% | Grad. | $74,641 | $6,220 | 25.4% | 93 | $80,259 |
| 17 | Utah | 4.45% | Flat | $74,675 | $6,223 | 25.3% | 99 | $75,429 |
| 18 | Idaho | 5.3% | Flat | $74,678 | $6,223 | 25.3% | 95 | $78,609 |
| 19 | South Carolina | 6% | Grad. | $74,733 | $6,228 | 25.3% | 92 | $81,231 |
| 20 | Montana | 5.65% | Grad. | $74,836 | $6,236 | 25.2% | 97 | $77,150 |
| 21 | Vermont | 8.75% | Grad. | $74,907 | $6,242 | 25.1% | 105 | $71,340 |
| 22 | New Jersey | 10.75% | Grad. | $74,945 | $6,245 | 25.1% | 115 | $65,170 |
| 23 | Alabama | 5% | Grad. | $75,026 | $6,252 | 25.0% | 88 | $85,257 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | 4.5% | Grad. | $75,081 | $6,257 | 24.9% | 87 | $86,300 |
| 25 | Michigan | 4.25% | Flat | $75,122 | $6,260 | 24.9% | 91 | $82,551 |
| 26 | Nebraska | 4.55% | Grad. | $75,237 | $6,270 | 24.8% | 91 | $82,678 |
| 27 | West Virginia | 4.82% | Grad. | $75,240 | $6,270 | 24.8% | 83 | $90,650 |
| 28 | Missouri | 4.7% | Grad. | $75,389 | $6,282 | 24.6% | 89 | $84,706 |
| 29 | Arkansas | 3.9% | Grad. | $75,400 | $6,283 | 24.6% | 86 | $87,674 |
| 30 | Colorado | 4.4% | Flat | $75,433 | $6,286 | 24.6% | 105 | $71,841 |
| 31 | New Mexico | 5.9% | Grad. | $75,556 | $6,296 | 24.4% | 91 | $83,028 |
| 32 | North Carolina | 3.99% | Flat | $75,644 | $6,304 | 24.4% | 95 | $79,625 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | 5.99% | Grad. | $75,692 | $6,308 | 24.3% | 105 | $72,087 |
| 34 | Kentucky | 3.5% | Flat | $75,743 | $6,312 | 24.3% | 90 | $84,158 |
| 35 | Mississippi | 4% | Flat | $75,857 | $6,321 | 24.1% | 83 | $91,394 |
| 36 | Iowa | 3.8% | Flat | $75,937 | $6,328 | 24.1% | 89 | $85,322 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 3.07% | Flat | $76,055 | $6,338 | 23.9% | 98 | $77,607 |
| 38 | Louisiana | 3% | Flat | $76,500 | $6,375 | 23.5% | 91 | $84,066 |
| 39 | Arizona | 2.5% | Flat | $77,028 | $6,419 | 23.0% | 97 | $79,410 |
| 40 | Ohio | 2.75% | Flat | $77,091 | $6,424 | 22.9% | 90 | $85,657 |
| 41 | North Dakota | 2.5% | Grad. | $78,434 | $6,536 | 21.6% | 92 | $85,255 |
| 42 | Alaska | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 127 | $62,303 |
| 43 | Florida | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 100 | $79,125 |
| 44 | Nevada | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 101 | $78,342 |
| 45 | New Hampshire | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 108 | $73,264 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 92 | $86,005 |
| 47 | Tennessee | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 90 | $87,917 |
| 48 | Texas | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 93 | $85,081 |
| 49 | Washington | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 110 | $71,932 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 0% | None | $79,125 | $6,594 | 20.9% | 94 | $84,176 |
Pro Tip
If you live in one of these states, tax-advantaged accounts (401k, HSA, IRA) become even more valuable. Every pre-tax dollar saves you both federal AND state taxes.