Highest Taxed States

Effective State Tax Rate
Effective State Tax Rate
1.New YorkNew York15.9%
2.ConnecticutConnecticut15.4%
3.HawaiiHawaii14.1%
4.VermontVermont13.6%
5.CaliforniaCalifornia13.5%
6.New JerseyNew Jersey13.2%
7.IllinoisIllinois12.9%
8.VirginiaVirginia12.5%
9.DelawareDelaware12.4%
10.MaineMaine12.4%
11.MinnesotaMinnesota12.1%
12.UtahUtah12.1%
13.MassachusettsMassachusetts11.5%
14.NebraskaNebraska11.5%
15.Rhode IslandRhode Island11.4%
16.MarylandMaryland11.3%
17.IowaIowa11.2%
18.KansasKansas11.2%
19.WisconsinWisconsin10.9%
20.OregonOregon10.8%
21.IdahoIdaho10.7%
22.WashingtonWashington10.7%
23.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania10.6%
24.MontanaMontana10.5%
25.ArkansasArkansas10.2%
26.New MexicoNew Mexico10.2%
27.OhioOhio10.0%
28.North CarolinaNorth Carolina9.9%
29.AlabamaAlabama9.8%
30.MississippiMississippi9.8%
31.West VirginiaWest Virginia9.8%
32.ColoradoColorado9.7%
33.KentuckyKentucky9.6%
34.NevadaNevada9.6%
35.New HampshireNew Hampshire9.6%
36.ArizonaArizona9.5%
37.IndianaIndiana9.3%
38.MissouriMissouri9.3%
39.FloridaFlorida9.1%
40.LouisianaLouisiana9.1%
41.OklahomaOklahoma9.0%
42.GeorgiaGeorgia8.9%
43.South CarolinaSouth Carolina8.9%
44.North DakotaNorth Dakota8.8%
45.MichiganMichigan8.6%
46.TexasTexas8.6%
47.South DakotaSouth Dakota8.4%
48.TennesseeTennessee7.6%
49.WyomingWyoming7.5%
50.AlaskaAlaska4.6%

Introduction

In the realm of taxes, understanding how each state imposes its burdens is crucial information for residents and potential movers alike. Varied across income, property, and sales taxes, the structure and rates significantly impact the life quality and financial planning of individuals and businesses.

  • New York tops the list with the highest effective state tax rate of 15.9%, followed closely by Connecticut at 15.4%. Indicating that residents in these two states, on average, pay a higher percentage of their income in state taxes than any other U.S. region.
  • The Northeastern U.S seems to have a high overall tax burden, with five states - New York, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, and Maine - listed in the top ten.
  • Conversely, Southern states appear to have lower tax rates overall. Most notably, Tennessee and Wyoming have effective state tax rates under 8%, while Alaska, the lowest-taxed state, has an effective state tax rate of just 4.6%.
  • Interestingly, seven out of eight states (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming) with no state income taxes appear in the lower half of the list, affirming that they leverage other avenues such as sales and property taxes to collect revenue.

10 Highest Taxed States

Topping this list, is New York with an effective tax rate of 15.9%. A close second, Connecticut impresses with an effective state tax rate of 15.4%. Following suit, we have Hawaii third on the list with an effective state tax rate of 14.1%. Along with its high state income tax rate, Hawaii’s general excise tax plays a significant role in its overall tax burden. Vermont and California take the subsequent places with Vermont reporting an effective state tax rate of 13.6%, and California just behind at 13.5%. Moving down the list, we find New Jersey with an effective state tax rate of 13.2%, and Illinois with a rate of 12.9%. Virginia, Delaware, and Maine are close competitors, with effective tax rates of 12.5%, 12.4%, and 12.4%, respectively.

10 Highest Taxed States:

  1. New York - 15.9%
  2. Connecticut - 15.4%
  3. Hawaii - 14.1%
  4. Vermont - 13.6%
  5. California - 13.5%
  6. New Jersey - 13.2%
  7. Illinois - 12.9%
  8. Virginia - 12.5%
  9. Delaware - 12.4%
  10. Maine - 12.4%

By Region

Alabama

See Less
Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.8%

#29

Alaska

See More
Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

4.6%

#50

Arizona

See More
Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.5%

#36

Arkansas

See More
Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

10.2%

#25

California

See More
California

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

13.5%

#5

Colorado

See More
Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.7%

#32

Connecticut

See More
Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

15.4%

#2

Delaware

See More
Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

12.4%

#9

Florida

See More
Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.1%

#39

Georgia

See More
Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

8.9%

#42

Hawaii

See More
Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

14.1%

#3

Idaho

See More
Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

10.7%

#21

Illinois

See More
Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

12.9%

#7

Indiana

See More
Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.3%

#37

Iowa

See More
Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

11.2%

#17

Kansas

See More
Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

11.2%

#18

Kentucky

See More
Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.6%

#33

Louisiana

See More
Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.1%

#40

Maine

See More
Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

12.4%

#10

Maryland

See More
Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

11.3%

#16

Massachusetts

See More
Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

11.5%

#13

Michigan

See More
Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

8.6%

#45

Minnesota

See More
Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

12.1%

#11

Mississippi

See More
Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.8%

#30

Missouri

See More
Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.3%

#38

Montana

See More
Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

10.5%

#24

Nebraska

See More
Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

11.5%

#14

Nevada

See More
Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.6%

#34

New Hampshire

See More
New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.6%

#35

New Jersey

See More
New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

13.2%

#6

New Mexico

See More
New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

10.2%

#26

New York

See More
New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

15.9%

#1

North Carolina

See More
North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.9%

#28

North Dakota

See More
North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

8.8%

#44

Ohio

See More
Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

10.0%

#27

Oklahoma

See More
Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.0%

#41

Oregon

See More
Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

10.8%

#20

Pennsylvania

See More
Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

10.6%

#23

Rhode Island

See More
Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

11.4%

#15

South Carolina

See More
South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

8.9%

#43

South Dakota

See More
South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

8.4%

#47

Tennessee

See More
Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

7.6%

#48

Texas

See More
Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

8.6%

#46

Utah

See More
Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

12.1%

#12

Vermont

See More
Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

13.6%

#4

Virginia

See More
Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

12.5%

#8

Washington

See More
Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

10.7%

#22

West Virginia

See More
West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

9.8%

#31

Wisconsin

See More
Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

10.9%

#19

Wyoming

See More
Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Effective State Tax Rate

7.5%

#49