State tax rankings · 2026
Where does $100K keep the most?
The states that take the least from a $100,000 single salary in 2026. 9 states levy no tax on wage income at all, among states that do tax wages, the bite ranges from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
This list, in one line
9 no-tax states leave about $79,180 take-home on $100K single, the #15 cutoff to make this list is $2,940 (Kentucky). Among taxing states, North Dakota is gentlest at roughly $690.
- 9
- States with $0 wage income tax
- $79,180
- Best take-home on $100K
- $2,940
- #15, the cutoff to make this list
- $690
- Lowest taxing (North Dakota)
Single filer, standard deduction, wage income only. Federal income tax and FICA are identical in every state, the difference is the state income tax line.
Lowest state income tax at $100K (among taxing states)
The 9 no-tax states sit at $0 and aren't charted here. These are the 12 states with the smallest state-tax line on a $100,000 single salary, the lowest taxing state is highlighted.
The bar to make this list
Where the #12 cutoff sits among all 42 taxing states, not just the 12 shown above.
Distribution of the $100K state-tax line across 42 taxing states
Bucketed in $500 bands, no-tax states excluded
$3,570 Lower than most lower than 71% of 42 taxing states
taxing states, bucketed by value
Each bar is a $0.5K-wide band; taller bars hold more taxing states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source Tax Foundation 2026 State Income Tax Rates · IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 · 2026 tax year
Top 15: most take-home on $100K
Ranked from the smallest total tax burden up. Each links to that state's full 2026 breakdown and calculator.
| # | State | State tax | Take-home | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $0 | $79,180 | 20.8% |
| 2 | Florida | $0 | $79,180 | 20.8% |
| 3 | Nevada | $0 | $79,180 | 20.8% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $0 | $79,180 | 20.8% |
| 5 | South Dakota | $0 | $79,180 | 20.8% |
| 6 | Tennessee | $0 | $79,180 | 20.8% |
| 7 | Texas | $0 | $79,180 | 20.8% |
| 8 | Washington | $0 | $79,180 | 20.8% |
| 9 | Wyoming | $0 | $79,180 | 20.8% |
| 10 | North Dakota | $690 | $78,489 | 21.5% |
| 11 | Arizona | $2,100 | $77,083 | 22.9% |
| 12 | Ohio † (local income tax not included) | $2,310 | $76,873 | 23.1% |
| 13 | Louisiana | $2,520 | $76,663 | 23.3% |
| 14 | Indiana † (local income tax not included) | $2,920 | $76,260 | 23.7% |
| 15 | Kentucky | $2,940 | $76,244 | 23.8% |
† Local income tax not included: Ohio (cities and school districts may add local income taxes); Indiana (counties add a local income tax); Pennsylvania (localities add an earned income tax). These figures are the state layer only for every state; other states also have local levies that are not modeled at all. See the methodology.
No-tax states aren't all equal
All 9 no-tax states deliver the same ~$79,180 take-home on a $100K salary, because federal income tax and FICA are the only withholdings. Washington is on this list for wage income only, it taxes certain capital gains, but a salary is untouched. The real cost-of-living difference between these states shows up in property tax, sales tax, and housing, not the paycheck.
Among taxing states, low-and-flat wins
The gentlest taxing states tend to be either very low flat-rate jurisdictions or graduated systems whose brackets stay shallow at $100K. North Dakota tops the taxing tier at about $690 - a rounding error next to the highest-tax states, where the $100K state line runs into the thousands. Use the calculator to model your own income.
What to do with this list
A ranking only matters next to your own income and filing status.
- Run your exact take-home for any income, filing status, and any of the 51 jurisdictions. Calculate my take-home
- See the same $100K comparison from the other direction, which states take the most. Highest state tax at $100K
- Read why 9 states can charge $0 on wage income at all. States with no income tax
2026 tax year figures from each state's own Department of Revenue schedule; the calculator adjusts for your exact filing status.
Sources
- Tax Foundation, 2026 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32-2026 federal inflation-adjusted brackets
- Social Security Administration, 2026 FICA / OASDI wage base
All take-home figures: single filer, standard deduction, wage income only, no credits or local taxes. See the full methodology.