2026
Moving from North Carolina?
Where you keep the most after tax and rent. The comparison starts in Charlotte, NC, the largest metro in North Carolina on this site. One adult, one bedroom, $80,000 held the same in every city. State income tax there is $2,858 a year, and $1,869 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 North Carolina on $80,000.
- Anchorage, AK
$1,705/mo left · state tax −$2,858/yr
- Sebring, FL
$2,422/mo left · state tax −$2,858/yr
- Carson City, NV
$2,130/mo left · state tax −$2,858/yr
- Manchester, NH
$1,539/mo left · state tax −$2,858/yr
- Sioux Falls, SD
$2,549/mo left · state tax −$2,858/yr
- Morristown, TN
$2,592/mo left · state tax −$2,858/yr
- Lubbock, TX
$2,695/mo left · state tax −$2,858/yr
- Spokane, WA
$2,287/mo left · state tax −$2,858/yr
- Cheyenne, WY
$2,358/mo left · state tax −$2,858/yr
Where people from North Carolina moved
IRS migration, 2022-2023. Outflows from metros in North Carolina 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 Charlotte | 3,588 | 4,883 | +$937/yr | -$349/mo |
| Washington, DCfrom Raleigh | 3,162 | 4,987 | +$1,101/yr | $1,041/mo |
| Atlanta, GAfrom Charlotte | 2,482 | 3,801 | +$671/yr | $1,695/mo |
| Columbia, SCfrom Charlotte | 1,822 | 3,283 | +$519/yr | $2,012/mo |
| Myrtle Beach, SCfrom Charlotte | 1,652 | 2,808 | +$519/yr | $1,832/mo |
| Greenville, SCfrom Charlotte | 1,594 | 2,579 | +$519/yr | $1,994/mo |
| Miami, FLfrom Charlotte | 1,537 | 2,381 | −$2,858/yr | $1,107/mo |
| Charleston, SCfrom Charlotte | 1,530 | 2,406 | +$519/yr | $1,592/mo |
| Dallas, TXfrom Charlotte | 1,482 | 2,450 | −$2,858/yr | $2,130/mo |
| Tampa, FLfrom Charlotte | 1,376 | 2,313 | −$2,858/yr | $1,841/mo |
Where the paycheck goes furthest
Top 25 metros outside North Carolina by monthly leftover on $80,000. Versus Charlotte.
| Rank | Metro | Left over | Vs Charlotte | State tax change | Paid to move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames, IA | $2,706/mo | +$837/mo | −$373/yr | — |
| 2 | Fargo, ND | $2,705/mo | +$836/mo | −$2,528/yr | — |
| 3 | Lubbock, TX | $2,695/mo | +$826/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 4 | Wichita Falls, TX | $2,685/mo | +$816/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 5 | McAllen, TX | $2,679/mo | +$810/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 6 | Longview, TX | $2,672/mo | +$803/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 7 | Amarillo, TX | $2,652/mo | +$783/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 8 | Grand Forks, ND | $2,646/mo | +$777/mo | −$2,528/yr | — |
| 9 | Davenport, IA | $2,636/mo | +$767/mo | −$373/yr | — |
| 10 | Texarkana, TX | $2,635/mo | +$766/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 11 | Waterloo, IA | $2,625/mo | +$756/mo | −$373/yr | — |
| 12 | Dubuque, IA | $2,621/mo | +$752/mo | −$373/yr | — |
| 13 | Cape Girardeau, MO | $2,618/mo | +$749/mo | −$25/yr | — |
| 14 | Jefferson City, MO | $2,610/mo | +$741/mo | −$25/yr | — |
| 15 | Killeen, TX | $2,606/mo | +$737/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 16 | Laredo, TX | $2,603/mo | +$734/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 17 | Iowa City, IA | $2,601/mo | +$732/mo | −$373/yr | — |
| 18 | Morristown, TN | $2,592/mo | +$723/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 19 | Sherman, TX | $2,589/mo | +$720/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 20 | St. Joseph, MO | $2,584/mo | +$715/mo | −$25/yr | — |
| 21 | Eagle Pass, TX | $2,576/mo | +$707/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 22 | Alexandria, LA | $2,573/mo | +$704/mo | −$833/yr | — |
| 23 | El Paso, TX | $2,564/mo | +$695/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 24 | Beaumont, TX | $2,555/mo | +$686/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
| 25 | Sioux Falls, SD | $2,549/mo | +$680/mo | −$2,858/yr | — |
Staying in North Carolina
State income tax does not change. Rent still does. Compared with Charlotte.
- Rocky Mount · $2,458/mo · +$589 vs Charlotte
- Burlington · $2,169/mo · +$300 vs Charlotte
- Goldsboro · $2,168/mo · +$299 vs Charlotte
- Greensboro · $2,157/mo · +$288 vs Charlotte
- Winston-Salem · $2,142/mo · +$273 vs Charlotte
Moving from another state
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Cities that pay you to moveTake-home by jobCharlotte paycheck
Questions
Where do people from North Carolina move?
Among metros on this site, the largest IRS flow out of North Carolina in 2022-2023 is to New York, NY: 3,588 tax returns, about 4,883 people. The link uses the Charlotte corridor, which sent the most of those returns.
How does state income tax change when you leave North Carolina?
On $80,000 for a single filer, North Carolina state income tax is $2,858 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 North Carolina go furthest?
At $80,000 held flat, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,706 a month in Ames, IA, +$837 versus Charlotte.