2026
Moving from California?
Where you keep the most after tax and rent. The comparison starts in Los Angeles, CA, the largest metro in California on this site. One adult, one bedroom, $80,000 held the same in every city. State income tax there is $3,467 a year, and $428 a month is left after tax and rent.
No state income tax
The strongest leftover metro in each state that does not tax wages. The tax change is versus California on $80,000.
- Anchorage, AK
$1,705/mo left · state tax −$3,467/yr
- Sebring, FL
$2,422/mo left · state tax −$3,467/yr
- Carson City, NV
$2,130/mo left · state tax −$3,467/yr
- Manchester, NH
$1,539/mo left · state tax −$3,467/yr
- Sioux Falls, SD
$2,549/mo left · state tax −$3,467/yr
- Morristown, TN
$2,592/mo left · state tax −$3,467/yr
- Lubbock, TX
$2,695/mo left · state tax −$3,467/yr
- Spokane, WA
$2,287/mo left · state tax −$3,467/yr
- Cheyenne, WY
$2,358/mo left · state tax −$3,467/yr
Where people from California moved
IRS migration, 2022-2023. Outflows from metros in California to metros in other states, summed. The move link starts in the city that sent the most returns on that route.
| Destination | Returns | People | State tax change | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NYfrom Los Angeles | 19,058 | 23,375 | +$328/yr | -$349/mo |
| Las Vegas, NVfrom Los Angeles | 18,060 | 30,733 | −$3,467/yr | $2,080/mo |
| Phoenix, AZfrom Los Angeles | 17,439 | 29,247 | −$1,832/yr | $1,954/mo |
| Seattle, WAfrom Los Angeles | 14,558 | 21,187 | −$3,467/yr | $1,500/mo |
| Dallas, TXfrom Los Angeles | 12,531 | 23,468 | −$3,467/yr | $2,130/mo |
| Portland, ORfrom Los Angeles | 8,599 | 12,530 | +$2,992/yr | $1,381/mo |
| Houston, TXfrom Los Angeles | 8,360 | 15,879 | −$3,467/yr | $2,251/mo |
| Austin, TXfrom Los Angeles | 7,106 | 11,909 | −$3,467/yr | $2,152/mo |
| Chicago, ILfrom Los Angeles | 6,552 | 9,378 | +$356/yr | $1,417/mo |
| Washington, DCfrom Los Angeles | 6,419 | 10,347 | +$492/yr | $1,041/mo |
Where the paycheck goes furthest
Top 25 metros outside California by monthly leftover on $80,000. Versus Los Angeles.
| Rank | Metro | Left over | Vs Los Angeles | State tax change | Paid to move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames, IA | $2,706/mo | +$2,278/mo | −$982/yr | — |
| 2 | Fargo, ND | $2,705/mo | +$2,277/mo | −$3,137/yr | — |
| 3 | Lubbock, TX | $2,695/mo | +$2,267/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 4 | Wichita Falls, TX | $2,685/mo | +$2,257/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 5 | McAllen, TX | $2,679/mo | +$2,251/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 6 | Longview, TX | $2,672/mo | +$2,244/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 7 | Amarillo, TX | $2,652/mo | +$2,224/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 8 | Grand Forks, ND | $2,646/mo | +$2,218/mo | −$3,137/yr | — |
| 9 | Davenport, IA | $2,636/mo | +$2,208/mo | −$982/yr | — |
| 10 | Texarkana, TX | $2,635/mo | +$2,207/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 11 | Waterloo, IA | $2,625/mo | +$2,197/mo | −$982/yr | — |
| 12 | Dubuque, IA | $2,621/mo | +$2,193/mo | −$982/yr | — |
| 13 | Cape Girardeau, MO | $2,618/mo | +$2,190/mo | −$634/yr | — |
| 14 | Jefferson City, MO | $2,610/mo | +$2,182/mo | −$634/yr | — |
| 15 | Killeen, TX | $2,606/mo | +$2,178/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 16 | Laredo, TX | $2,603/mo | +$2,175/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 17 | Iowa City, IA | $2,601/mo | +$2,173/mo | −$982/yr | — |
| 18 | Morristown, TN | $2,592/mo | +$2,164/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 19 | Sherman, TX | $2,589/mo | +$2,161/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 20 | St. Joseph, MO | $2,584/mo | +$2,156/mo | −$634/yr | — |
| 21 | Eagle Pass, TX | $2,576/mo | +$2,148/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 22 | Alexandria, LA | $2,573/mo | +$2,145/mo | −$1,442/yr | — |
| 23 | El Paso, TX | $2,564/mo | +$2,136/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 24 | Beaumont, TX | $2,555/mo | +$2,127/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
| 25 | Sioux Falls, SD | $2,549/mo | +$2,121/mo | −$3,467/yr | — |
Staying in California
State income tax does not change. Rent still does. Compared with Los Angeles.
Moving from another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Cities that pay you to moveTake-home by jobLos Angeles paycheck
Questions
Where do people from California move?
Among metros on this site, the largest IRS flow out of California in 2022-2023 is to New York, NY: 19,058 tax returns, about 23,375 people. The link uses the Los Angeles corridor, which sent the most of those returns.
How does state income tax change when you leave California?
On $80,000 for a single filer, California state income tax is $3,467 a year. The change column is the destination's state income tax minus that figure. A negative number is a smaller state tax bill. Local wage taxes are not in that column. They are in the leftover figure.
Where does a paycheck from California go furthest?
At $80,000 held flat, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,706 a month in Ames, IA, +$2,278 versus Los Angeles.