2026
Moving from Maine?
Where you keep the most after tax and rent. The comparison starts in Portland, ME, the largest metro in Maine on this site. One adult, one bedroom, $80,000 held the same in every city. State income tax there is $4,168 a year, and $1,178 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 Maine on $80,000.
- Anchorage, AK
$1,705/mo left · state tax −$4,168/yr
- Sebring, FL
$2,422/mo left · state tax −$4,168/yr
- Carson City, NV
$2,130/mo left · state tax −$4,168/yr
- Manchester, NH
$1,539/mo left · state tax −$4,168/yr
- Sioux Falls, SD
$2,549/mo left · state tax −$4,168/yr
- Morristown, TN
$2,592/mo left · state tax −$4,168/yr
- Lubbock, TX
$2,695/mo left · state tax −$4,168/yr
- Spokane, WA
$2,287/mo left · state tax −$4,168/yr
- Cheyenne, WY
$2,358/mo left · state tax −$4,168/yr
Where people from Maine moved
IRS migration, 2022-2023. Outflows from metros in Maine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MAfrom Portland | 2,106 | 2,840 | −$388/yr | $398/mo |
| New York, NYfrom Portland | 238 | 288 | −$373/yr | -$349/mo |
| Manchester, NHfrom Portland | 141 | 186 | −$4,168/yr | $1,539/mo |
| Tampa, FLfrom Portland | 102 | 152 | −$4,168/yr | $1,841/mo |
| Phoenix, AZfrom Portland | 88 | 145 | −$2,533/yr | $1,954/mo |
| Worcester, MAfrom Portland | 88 | 112 | −$388/yr | $1,354/mo |
| Los Angeles, CAfrom Portland | 85 | 110 | −$701/yr | $428/mo |
| Miami, FLfrom Portland | 85 | 117 | −$4,168/yr | $1,107/mo |
| Providence, RIfrom Portland | 85 | 113 | −$1,564/yr | $1,433/mo |
| North Port, FLfrom Portland | 79 | 127 | −$4,168/yr | $1,907/mo |
Where the paycheck goes furthest
Top 25 metros outside Maine by monthly leftover on $80,000. Versus Portland.
| Rank | Metro | Left over | Vs Portland | State tax change | Paid to move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames, IA | $2,706/mo | +$1,528/mo | −$1,683/yr | — |
| 2 | Fargo, ND | $2,705/mo | +$1,527/mo | −$3,838/yr | — |
| 3 | Lubbock, TX | $2,695/mo | +$1,517/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 4 | Wichita Falls, TX | $2,685/mo | +$1,507/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 5 | McAllen, TX | $2,679/mo | +$1,501/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 6 | Longview, TX | $2,672/mo | +$1,494/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 7 | Amarillo, TX | $2,652/mo | +$1,474/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 8 | Grand Forks, ND | $2,646/mo | +$1,468/mo | −$3,838/yr | — |
| 9 | Davenport, IA | $2,636/mo | +$1,458/mo | −$1,683/yr | — |
| 10 | Texarkana, TX | $2,635/mo | +$1,457/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 11 | Waterloo, IA | $2,625/mo | +$1,447/mo | −$1,683/yr | — |
| 12 | Dubuque, IA | $2,621/mo | +$1,443/mo | −$1,683/yr | — |
| 13 | Cape Girardeau, MO | $2,618/mo | +$1,440/mo | −$1,335/yr | — |
| 14 | Jefferson City, MO | $2,610/mo | +$1,432/mo | −$1,335/yr | — |
| 15 | Killeen, TX | $2,606/mo | +$1,428/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 16 | Laredo, TX | $2,603/mo | +$1,425/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 17 | Iowa City, IA | $2,601/mo | +$1,423/mo | −$1,683/yr | — |
| 18 | Morristown, TN | $2,592/mo | +$1,414/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 19 | Sherman, TX | $2,589/mo | +$1,411/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 20 | St. Joseph, MO | $2,584/mo | +$1,406/mo | −$1,335/yr | — |
| 21 | Eagle Pass, TX | $2,576/mo | +$1,398/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 22 | Alexandria, LA | $2,573/mo | +$1,395/mo | −$2,143/yr | — |
| 23 | El Paso, TX | $2,564/mo | +$1,386/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 24 | Beaumont, TX | $2,555/mo | +$1,377/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
| 25 | Sioux Falls, SD | $2,549/mo | +$1,371/mo | −$4,168/yr | — |
Staying in Maine
State income tax does not change. Rent still does. Compared with Portland.
Moving from another state
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Cities that pay you to moveTake-home by jobPortland paycheck
Questions
Where do people from Maine move?
Among metros on this site, the largest IRS flow out of Maine in 2022-2023 is to Boston, MA: 2,106 tax returns, about 2,840 people. The link uses the Portland corridor, which sent the most of those returns.
How does state income tax change when you leave Maine?
On $80,000 for a single filer, Maine state income tax is $4,168 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 Maine go furthest?
At $80,000 held flat, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,706 a month in Ames, IA, +$1,528 versus Portland.