2026
Moving from Colorado?
Where you keep the most after tax and rent. The comparison starts in Denver, CO, the largest metro in Colorado on this site. One adult, one bedroom, $80,000 held the same in every city. State income tax there is $2,878 a year, and $1,587 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 Colorado on $80,000.
- Anchorage, AK
$1,705/mo left · state tax −$2,878/yr
- Sebring, FL
$2,422/mo left · state tax −$2,878/yr
- Carson City, NV
$2,130/mo left · state tax −$2,878/yr
- Manchester, NH
$1,539/mo left · state tax −$2,878/yr
- Sioux Falls, SD
$2,549/mo left · state tax −$2,878/yr
- Morristown, TN
$2,592/mo left · state tax −$2,878/yr
- Lubbock, TX
$2,695/mo left · state tax −$2,878/yr
- Spokane, WA
$2,287/mo left · state tax −$2,878/yr
- Cheyenne, WY
$2,358/mo left · state tax −$2,878/yr
Where people from Colorado moved
IRS migration, 2022-2023. Outflows from metros in Colorado 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZfrom Denver | 3,419 | 5,454 | −$1,243/yr | $1,954/mo |
| Los Angeles, CAfrom Denver | 2,591 | 3,619 | +$589/yr | $428/mo |
| Dallas, TXfrom Denver | 2,415 | 4,019 | −$2,878/yr | $2,130/mo |
| Seattle, WAfrom Denver | 1,950 | 2,785 | −$2,878/yr | $1,500/mo |
| Chicago, ILfrom Denver | 1,647 | 2,193 | +$945/yr | $1,417/mo |
| Houston, TXfrom Denver | 1,627 | 2,938 | −$2,878/yr | $2,251/mo |
| San Diego, CAfrom Denver | 1,467 | 2,107 | +$589/yr | $461/mo |
| New York, NYfrom Denver | 1,413 | 1,659 | +$917/yr | -$349/mo |
| Tampa, FLfrom Denver | 1,293 | 2,188 | −$2,878/yr | $1,841/mo |
| Austin, TXfrom Denver | 1,244 | 1,790 | −$2,878/yr | $2,152/mo |
Where the paycheck goes furthest
Top 25 metros outside Colorado by monthly leftover on $80,000. Versus Denver.
| Rank | Metro | Left over | Vs Denver | State tax change | Paid to move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames, IA | $2,706/mo | +$1,119/mo | −$393/yr | — |
| 2 | Fargo, ND | $2,705/mo | +$1,118/mo | −$2,548/yr | — |
| 3 | Lubbock, TX | $2,695/mo | +$1,108/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 4 | Wichita Falls, TX | $2,685/mo | +$1,098/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 5 | McAllen, TX | $2,679/mo | +$1,092/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 6 | Longview, TX | $2,672/mo | +$1,085/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 7 | Amarillo, TX | $2,652/mo | +$1,065/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 8 | Grand Forks, ND | $2,646/mo | +$1,059/mo | −$2,548/yr | — |
| 9 | Davenport, IA | $2,636/mo | +$1,049/mo | −$393/yr | — |
| 10 | Texarkana, TX | $2,635/mo | +$1,048/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 11 | Waterloo, IA | $2,625/mo | +$1,038/mo | −$393/yr | — |
| 12 | Dubuque, IA | $2,621/mo | +$1,034/mo | −$393/yr | — |
| 13 | Cape Girardeau, MO | $2,618/mo | +$1,031/mo | −$45/yr | — |
| 14 | Jefferson City, MO | $2,610/mo | +$1,023/mo | −$45/yr | — |
| 15 | Killeen, TX | $2,606/mo | +$1,019/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 16 | Laredo, TX | $2,603/mo | +$1,016/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 17 | Iowa City, IA | $2,601/mo | +$1,014/mo | −$393/yr | — |
| 18 | Morristown, TN | $2,592/mo | +$1,005/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 19 | Sherman, TX | $2,589/mo | +$1,002/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 20 | St. Joseph, MO | $2,584/mo | +$997/mo | −$45/yr | — |
| 21 | Eagle Pass, TX | $2,576/mo | +$989/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 22 | Alexandria, LA | $2,573/mo | +$986/mo | −$853/yr | — |
| 23 | El Paso, TX | $2,564/mo | +$977/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 24 | Beaumont, TX | $2,555/mo | +$968/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
| 25 | Sioux Falls, SD | $2,549/mo | +$962/mo | −$2,878/yr | — |
Staying in Colorado
State income tax does not change. Rent still does. Compared with Denver.
- Pueblo · $2,158/mo · +$571 vs Denver
- Grand Junction · $1,966/mo · +$379 vs Denver
- Greeley · $1,935/mo · +$348 vs Denver
- Colorado Springs · $1,845/mo · +$258 vs Denver
- Fort Collins · $1,807/mo · +$220 vs Denver
Moving from another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- 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
Questions
Where do people from Colorado move?
Among metros on this site, the largest IRS flow out of Colorado in 2022-2023 is to Phoenix, AZ: 3,419 tax returns, about 5,454 people. The link uses the Denver corridor, which sent the most of those returns.
How does state income tax change when you leave Colorado?
On $80,000 for a single filer, Colorado state income tax is $2,878 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 Colorado go furthest?
At $80,000 held flat, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,706 a month in Ames, IA, +$1,119 versus Denver.