2026
Moving from West Virginia?
Where you keep the most after tax and rent. The comparison starts in Huntington, WV, the largest metro in West Virginia on this site. One adult, one bedroom, $80,000 held the same in every city. State income tax there is $3,018 a year, and $2,318 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 West Virginia on $80,000.
- Anchorage, AK
$1,705/mo left · state tax −$3,018/yr
- Sebring, FL
$2,422/mo left · state tax −$3,018/yr
- Carson City, NV
$2,130/mo left · state tax −$3,018/yr
- Manchester, NH
$1,539/mo left · state tax −$3,018/yr
- Sioux Falls, SD
$2,549/mo left · state tax −$3,018/yr
- Morristown, TN
$2,592/mo left · state tax −$3,018/yr
- Lubbock, TX
$2,695/mo left · state tax −$3,018/yr
- Spokane, WA
$2,287/mo left · state tax −$3,018/yr
- Cheyenne, WY
$2,358/mo left · state tax −$3,018/yr
Where people from West Virginia moved
IRS migration, 2022-2023. Outflows from metros in West Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh, PAfrom Morgantown | 715 | 1,040 | −$562/yr | $1,990/mo |
| Columbus, OHfrom Wheeling | 334 | 456 | −$1,534/yr | $2,048/mo |
| Lexington, KYfrom Huntington | 84 | 113 | +$51/yr | $1,989/mo |
| Charlotte, NCfrom Morgantown | 63 | 81 | −$160/yr | $1,869/mo |
| Hagerstown, MDfrom Morgantown | 50 | 75 | +$608/yr | $1,735/mo |
| Myrtle Beach, SCfrom Charleston | 32 | 55 | +$359/yr | $1,832/mo |
| Akron, OHfrom Weirton | 30 | 32 | −$1,534/yr | $2,343/mo |
| Canton, OHfrom Weirton | 26 | 56 | −$1,534/yr | $2,435/mo |
Where the paycheck goes furthest
Top 25 metros outside West Virginia by monthly leftover on $80,000. Versus Huntington.
| Rank | Metro | Left over | Vs Huntington | State tax change | Paid to move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames, IA | $2,706/mo | +$388/mo | −$533/yr | — |
| 2 | Fargo, ND | $2,705/mo | +$387/mo | −$2,688/yr | — |
| 3 | Lubbock, TX | $2,695/mo | +$377/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 4 | Wichita Falls, TX | $2,685/mo | +$367/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 5 | McAllen, TX | $2,679/mo | +$361/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 6 | Longview, TX | $2,672/mo | +$354/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 7 | Amarillo, TX | $2,652/mo | +$334/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 8 | Grand Forks, ND | $2,646/mo | +$328/mo | −$2,688/yr | — |
| 9 | Davenport, IA | $2,636/mo | +$318/mo | −$533/yr | — |
| 10 | Texarkana, TX | $2,635/mo | +$317/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 11 | Waterloo, IA | $2,625/mo | +$307/mo | −$533/yr | — |
| 12 | Dubuque, IA | $2,621/mo | +$303/mo | −$533/yr | — |
| 13 | Cape Girardeau, MO | $2,618/mo | +$300/mo | −$185/yr | — |
| 14 | Jefferson City, MO | $2,610/mo | +$292/mo | −$185/yr | — |
| 15 | Killeen, TX | $2,606/mo | +$288/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 16 | Laredo, TX | $2,603/mo | +$285/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 17 | Iowa City, IA | $2,601/mo | +$283/mo | −$533/yr | — |
| 18 | Morristown, TN | $2,592/mo | +$274/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 19 | Sherman, TX | $2,589/mo | +$271/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 20 | St. Joseph, MO | $2,584/mo | +$266/mo | −$185/yr | — |
| 21 | Eagle Pass, TX | $2,576/mo | +$258/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 22 | Alexandria, LA | $2,573/mo | +$255/mo | −$993/yr | — |
| 23 | El Paso, TX | $2,564/mo | +$246/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 24 | Beaumont, TX | $2,555/mo | +$237/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
| 25 | Sioux Falls, SD | $2,549/mo | +$231/mo | −$3,018/yr | — |
Staying in West Virginia
State income tax does not change. Rent still does. Compared with Huntington.
- Weirton · $2,545/mo · +$227 vs Huntington
- Wheeling · $2,415/mo · +$97 vs Huntington
- Parkersburg · $2,391/mo · +$73 vs Huntington
- Morgantown · $2,315/mo · −$3 vs Huntington
- Beckley · $2,258/mo · −$60 vs Huntington
Moving from another state
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Cities that pay you to moveTake-home by jobHuntington paycheck
Questions
Where do people from West Virginia move?
Among metros on this site, the largest IRS flow out of West Virginia in 2022-2023 is to Pittsburgh, PA: 715 tax returns, about 1,040 people. The link uses the Morgantown corridor, which sent the most of those returns.
How does state income tax change when you leave West Virginia?
On $80,000 for a single filer, West Virginia state income tax is $3,018 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 West Virginia go furthest?
At $80,000 held flat, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,706 a month in Ames, IA, +$388 versus Huntington.