2026
Moving from Washington?
Where you keep the most after tax and rent. The comparison starts in Seattle, WA, the largest metro in Washington on this site. One adult, one bedroom, $80,000 held the same in every city. State income tax there is $0 a year, and $1,500 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 Washington on $80,000.
- Anchorage, AK
$1,705/mo left · state tax $0/yr
- Sebring, FL
$2,422/mo left · state tax $0/yr
- Carson City, NV
$2,130/mo left · state tax $0/yr
- Manchester, NH
$1,539/mo left · state tax $0/yr
- Sioux Falls, SD
$2,549/mo left · state tax $0/yr
- Morristown, TN
$2,592/mo left · state tax $0/yr
- Lubbock, TX
$2,695/mo left · state tax $0/yr
- Cheyenne, WY
$2,358/mo left · state tax $0/yr
Where people from Washington moved
IRS migration, 2022-2023. Outflows from metros in Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, ORfrom Seattle | 5,519 | 8,432 | +$6,459/yr | $1,381/mo |
| Phoenix, AZfrom Seattle | 4,653 | 7,932 | +$1,635/yr | $1,954/mo |
| Los Angeles, CAfrom Seattle | 4,074 | 5,868 | +$3,467/yr | $428/mo |
| New York, NYfrom Seattle | 2,596 | 3,171 | +$3,795/yr | -$349/mo |
| San Diego, CAfrom Seattle | 2,387 | 3,945 | +$3,467/yr | $461/mo |
| San Francisco, CAfrom Seattle | 2,255 | 3,047 | +$3,467/yr | $51/mo |
| Dallas, TXfrom Seattle | 1,998 | 3,956 | $0/yr | $2,130/mo |
| Las Vegas, NVfrom Seattle | 1,542 | 2,574 | $0/yr | $2,080/mo |
| Coeur d'Alene, IDfrom Spokane | 1,442 | 2,562 | +$3,725/yr | $1,782/mo |
| San Jose, CAfrom Seattle | 1,382 | 2,011 | +$3,467/yr | -$484/mo |
Where the paycheck goes furthest
Top 25 metros outside Washington by monthly leftover on $80,000. Versus Seattle.
| Rank | Metro | Left over | Vs Seattle | State tax change | Paid to move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames, IA | $2,706/mo | +$1,206/mo | +$2,485/yr | — |
| 2 | Fargo, ND | $2,705/mo | +$1,205/mo | +$330/yr | — |
| 3 | Lubbock, TX | $2,695/mo | +$1,195/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 4 | Wichita Falls, TX | $2,685/mo | +$1,185/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 5 | McAllen, TX | $2,679/mo | +$1,179/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 6 | Longview, TX | $2,672/mo | +$1,172/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 7 | Amarillo, TX | $2,652/mo | +$1,152/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 8 | Grand Forks, ND | $2,646/mo | +$1,146/mo | +$330/yr | — |
| 9 | Davenport, IA | $2,636/mo | +$1,136/mo | +$2,485/yr | — |
| 10 | Texarkana, TX | $2,635/mo | +$1,135/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 11 | Waterloo, IA | $2,625/mo | +$1,125/mo | +$2,485/yr | — |
| 12 | Dubuque, IA | $2,621/mo | +$1,121/mo | +$2,485/yr | — |
| 13 | Cape Girardeau, MO | $2,618/mo | +$1,118/mo | +$2,833/yr | — |
| 14 | Jefferson City, MO | $2,610/mo | +$1,110/mo | +$2,833/yr | — |
| 15 | Killeen, TX | $2,606/mo | +$1,106/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 16 | Laredo, TX | $2,603/mo | +$1,103/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 17 | Iowa City, IA | $2,601/mo | +$1,101/mo | +$2,485/yr | — |
| 18 | Morristown, TN | $2,592/mo | +$1,092/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 19 | Sherman, TX | $2,589/mo | +$1,089/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 20 | St. Joseph, MO | $2,584/mo | +$1,084/mo | +$2,833/yr | — |
| 21 | Eagle Pass, TX | $2,576/mo | +$1,076/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 22 | Alexandria, LA | $2,573/mo | +$1,073/mo | +$2,025/yr | — |
| 23 | El Paso, TX | $2,564/mo | +$1,064/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 24 | Beaumont, TX | $2,555/mo | +$1,055/mo | $0/yr | — |
| 25 | Sioux Falls, SD | $2,549/mo | +$1,049/mo | $0/yr | — |
Staying in Washington
State income tax does not change. Rent still does. Compared with Seattle.
- Spokane · $2,287/mo · +$787 vs Seattle
- Yakima · $2,166/mo · +$666 vs Seattle
- Walla Walla · $2,124/mo · +$624 vs Seattle
- Longview · $2,065/mo · +$565 vs Seattle
- Kennewick · $1,864/mo · +$364 vs Seattle
Moving from another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- 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
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Questions
Where do people from Washington move?
Among metros on this site, the largest IRS flow out of Washington in 2022-2023 is to Portland, OR: 5,519 tax returns, about 8,432 people. The link uses the Seattle corridor, which sent the most of those returns.
How does state income tax change when you leave Washington?
On $80,000 for a single filer, Washington state income tax is $0 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 Washington go furthest?
At $80,000 held flat, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,706 a month in Ames, IA, +$1,206 versus Seattle.