The States That Take The Biggest Bite
Feel like your state (and good 'ol Uncle Sam) are taking too big a bite out of your paycheck? Well, depending on what state you live in you could actually have it much better then some other folks around the country.
For this list, we looked at the Tax Foundation’s resident tax burden—the share of your income that goes to all state and local taxes, even the ones you pay while shopping or working in another state. That’s how we ranked the best and worst tax climates across the country. And...
To provide a complete tax picture, we also included:
- Income tax system (none, flat, or progressive)
- Sales tax rate (state + average local)
- Property tax rate (effective % of home value)
Now, let’s count 'em down.
50: Alaska
Resident tax burden: 4.6%
Income tax: none • Sales tax: none statewide (local up to ~7.5%) • Property tax: 0.91%
Oil revenue allows Alaska to skip broad taxes, giving residents the lowest tax bite in the nation.
Alan Wu, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
49: Wyoming
Resident tax burden: 7.5%
Income tax: none • Sales tax: ~5.36% combined • Property tax: 0.55%
Energy revenues fund much of Wyoming’s budget, leaving residents with very light burdens.
48: Tennessee
Resident tax burden: 7.6%
Income tax: none • Sales tax: 9.55% (highest in U.S.) • Property tax: 0.49%
No wage tax is a plus for folks who live in Tennessee, but residents pay heavily at the register.
47: South Dakota
Resident tax burden: 8.4%
Income tax: none • Sales tax: ~6.4% combined • Property tax: 0.99%
A no-income-tax model with moderate property and sales taxes keeps burdens low.
46: Michigan
Resident tax burden: 8.6%
Income tax: flat 4.25% • Sales tax: 6% • Property tax: 1.15%
Michigan balances low income and sales rates with higher property taxes. But they still find themselves among the least taxed folks in the country.
45: Texas
Resident tax burden: 8.6%
Income tax: none • Sales tax: ~8.20% combined • Property tax: 1.36%
Texas skips income taxes but makes it up through property and sales.
Carol M. Highsmith, Wikimedia Commons
44: North Dakota
Resident tax burden: 8.8%
Income tax: flat 1.95% top rate • Sales tax: ~6.98% combined • Property tax: 0.94%
Energy wealth keeps collections high while keeping residents’ share modest.
43: Georgia
Resident tax burden: 8.9%
Income tax: flat 5.49% (phasing down) • Sales tax: ~7.4% combined • Property tax: 0.77%
Tax reforms are flattening Georgia’s system while keeping burdens low.
42: South Carolina
Resident tax burden: 8.9%
Income tax: progressive (top 6.5%) • Sales tax: ~7.44% combined • Property tax: 0.47%
Very low homeowner property taxes offset steady income and sales collections.
41: Oklahoma
Resident tax burden: 9.0%
Income tax: progressive (top 4.75%) • Sales tax: ~8.98% combined • Property tax: 0.77%
Oklahoma’s sales taxes are among the highest, though property rates stay light.
Nicholas J. Klein, Adobe Stock
40: Florida
Resident tax burden: 9.1%
Income tax: none • Sales tax: ~7.01% combined • Property tax: 0.74%
No income tax and heavy tourist spending keep Floridians’ burden low.
Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
39: Louisiana
Resident tax burden: 9.1%
Income tax: progressive (top 4.25%) • Sales tax: 9.55% combined • Property tax: 0.55%
Louisiana’s residents dodge big property bills but face the steepest sales tax rates in the nation.
38: Indiana
Resident tax burden: 9.3%
Income tax: flat 3.05% • Sales tax: 7% • Property tax: 0.77%
Indiana’s simple flat tax and moderate property rates keep burdens low.
Nicholas J. Klein, Adobe Stock
37: Missouri
Resident tax burden: 9.3%
Income tax: progressive (top 4.95%) • Sales tax: ~8.33% combined • Property tax: 0.88%
Balanced across income, sales, and property—Missourians pay about average.
36: Arizona
Resident tax burden: 9.5%
Income tax: flat 2.5% • Sales tax: ~8.3% combined • Property tax: 0.44%
Low flat income tax and light property rates help Arizona stay competitive.
35: Kentucky
Resident tax burden: 9.6%
Income tax: flat 4% • Sales tax: 6% • Property tax: 0.73%
Kentucky relies more on sales and property as income tax rates decline.
Christopher Boswell, Adobe Stock
34: Nevada
Resident tax burden: 9.6%
Income tax: none • Sales tax: ~8.23% combined • Property tax: 0.49%
Tourism and gaming pay the bills, keeping residents’ property taxes light.
33: New Hampshire
Resident tax burden: 9.6%
Income tax: none on wages • Sales tax: none • Property tax: 1.96%
New Hampshire skips wage and sales taxes but has some of the nation’s steepest property taxes.
Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
32: Colorado
Resident tax burden: 9.7%
Income tax: flat 4.4% • Sales tax: ~7.81% combined • Property tax: 0.50%
Higher incomes lift per-capita taxes, though the share of income stays under 10%.
31: Alabama
Resident tax burden: 9.8%
Income tax: progressive (top 5%) • Sales tax: ~9.24% combined • Property tax: 0.36%
Alabama’s sales taxes are steep, but property taxes are the lowest nationwide.
30: Mississippi
Resident tax burden: 9.8%
Income tax: flat 4.7% • Sales tax: 7% • Property tax: 0.58%
Mississippi’s burden is right at the national median, with light property rates.
29: West Virginia
Resident tax burden: 9.8%
Income tax: progressive (top 6.5%) • Sales tax: ~6.57% combined • Property tax: 0.48%
Low property taxes keep West Virginians’ burden below average despite income tax collections.
28: North Carolina
Resident tax burden: 9.9%
Income tax: flat 4.5% • Sales tax: ~6.99% combined • Property tax: 0.62%
Tax reforms flattened income taxes and left property rates low.
27: Ohio
Resident tax burden: 10.0%
Income tax: progressive (top 3.5%) • Sales tax: ~7.24% combined • Property tax: 1.31%
Property taxes are heavy, even as income taxes have been trimmed.
Nicholas J. Klein, Adobe Stock
26: Idaho
Resident tax burden: 10.1%
Income tax: flat 5.8% (lowering in steps) Sales tax: 6% base, ~6.1% with local Property tax: ~0.69%
Idaho’s burden is right in the middle—moderate income and sales taxes with relatively low property taxes keep things balanced.
25: New Mexico
Resident tax burden: 10.2%
Income tax: progressive (top 5.9%) • Sales tax: ~7.84% combined • Property tax: 0.61%
A broad gross receipts tax spreads widely, while property taxes remain light.
24: Arkansas
Resident tax burden: 10.2%
Income tax: flat 4.7% • Sales tax: ~9.45% combined • Property tax: 0.53%
High sales taxes push Arkansas above the national median, but property taxes are low.
23: Montana
Resident tax burden: 10.5%
Income tax: progressive (top 6.75%) • Sales tax: none • Property tax: 0.60%
Montana skips a statewide sales tax, leaning instead on income and property.
Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
22: Pennsylvania
Resident tax burden: 10.6%
Income tax: flat 3.07% • Sales tax: ~6.34% combined • Property tax: 1.19%
Pennsylvania’s famously low flat tax is offset by heavy property levies.
21: Wisconsin
Resident tax burden: 10.7%
Income tax: progressive (top 7.65%) • Sales tax: ~5.43% combined • Property tax: 1.68%
High property taxes and a steep income tax push Wisconsin upward.
20: Iowa
Resident tax burden: 10.8%
Income tax: progressive (top 6%) • Sales tax: ~6.94% combined • Property tax: 1.49%
Even after reforms, property taxes keep Iowans’ burden above average.
Grindstone Media Grp, Adobe Stock
19: Minnesota
Resident tax burden: 11.0%
Income tax: progressive (top 9.85%) • Sales tax: ~7.49% combined • Property tax: 1.00%
High income tax rates place Minnesota in the top 20.
18: Massachusetts
Resident tax burden: 11.0%
Income tax: flat 5% • Sales tax: 6.25% • Property tax: 1.23%
Massachusetts balances a flat tax with steep property bills.
17: Oregon
Resident tax burden: 11.1%
Income tax: progressive (top 9.9%) • Sales tax: none • Property tax: 0.91%
No sales tax, but one of the highest income tax rates in the nation.
Spicypepper999, Wikimedia Commons
16: Washington
Resident tax burden: 11.2%
Income tax: none • Sales tax: ~9.4% combined • Property tax: 0.88%
Sales taxes are steep, making up for the absence of income taxes.
15: Maryland
Resident tax burden: 11.3%
Income tax: progressive (top 5.75% + local surtaxes) • Sales tax: 6% • Property tax: 0.90%
Local surtaxes keep Maryland’s burden above average.
Nathaniel Gonzales, Adobe Stock
14: Idaho
Resident tax burden: 11.3%
Income tax: flat 5.8% • Sales tax: 6% • Property tax: 0.63%
Balanced across all categories, Idaho residents still pay over 11% of income in taxes.
13: Kansas
Resident tax burden: 11.5%
Income tax: progressive (top 5.7%) • Sales tax: ~8.66% combined • Property tax: 1.33%
Kansas relies on all three major taxes, keeping burdens high.
Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
12: Nebraska
Resident tax burden: 11.5%
Income tax: progressive (top 6.64%) • Sales tax: ~6.95% combined • Property tax: 1.67%
High property taxes drive Nebraska’s ranking into the top 15.
11: Rhode Island
Resident tax burden: 11.4%
Income tax: progressive (top 5.99%) • Sales tax: 7% • Property tax: 1.63%
Property-heavy Rhode Island pushes residents into the higher tax tier.
Wirestock Creators, Adobe Stock
10: Maine
Resident tax burden: 12.4%
Income tax: progressive (top 7.15%) • Sales tax: 5.5% • Property tax: 1.09%
Maine’s progressive income tax and property levies lift its burden well above average.
9: Delaware
Resident tax burden: 12.4%
Income tax: progressive (top 6.6%) • Sales tax: none • Property tax: 0.50%
No sales tax, but higher income taxes keep Delaware in the top 10.
PookieFugglestein, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
8: Virginia
Resident tax burden: 12.5%
Income tax: progressive (top 5.75%) • Sales tax: ~5.75% combined • Property tax: 0.77%
Virginia’s mix is balanced, but residents still hand over 12.5% of income.
Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
7: Illinois
Resident tax burden: 12.9%
Income tax: flat 4.95% • Sales tax: ~8.82% combined • Property tax: 1.83%
Property taxes are the nation’s highest, keeping Illinois near the top.
Willian Justen de Vasconcellos, Unsplash
6: New Jersey
Resident tax burden: 13.2%
Income tax: progressive (top 10.75%) • Sales tax: ~6.6% combined • Property tax: 2.23%
New Jersey is the property-tax capital of America, with steep income taxes to match.
5: California
Resident tax burden: 13.5%
Income tax: progressive (top 13.3%) • Sales tax: ~8.82% combined • Property tax: 0.70%
California’s sky-high incomes and top rates put it in the top 10 despite capped property taxes.
Crown Point Design, Adobe Stock
4: Vermont
Resident tax burden: 13.6%
Income tax: progressive (top 8.75%) • Sales tax: 6% • Property tax: 1.80%
Small population and reliance on property and income push Vermont near the very top.
3: Hawaii
Resident tax burden: 14.1%
Income tax: progressive (top 11%) • Sales tax: 4.5% base, broad GET • Property tax: 0.32%
Hawaii balances rock-bottom property taxes with steep income and consumption taxes.
ArdentArbitration, Wikimedia Commons
2: Connecticut
Resident tax burden: 15.4%
Income tax: progressive (top 6.99%) • Sales tax: ~6.35% combined • Property tax: 1.79%
High property and income taxes drive Connecticut to third place.
John9474, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
1: New York
Resident tax burden: 15.9%
Income tax: progressive (top 10.9% + NYC surcharge) • Sales tax: ~8.52% combined • Property tax: 1.26%
New Yorkers pay the highest overall tax burden in America, across income, sales, and property.
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