Is the move worth it? State-to-state cost of living and salary calculator
See what your paycheck is really worth in another state after 2026 taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move itself. Estimates built on IRS, Census and BEA data, with the assumptions shown.
Not sure where to move? Take the quiz to rank every state for you.
Equal salary in TX: $60,400
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $60,400 in Texas to match $75,000 in California ($14,600 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $75,000 | California | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $7,670 | $7,670 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $5,738 | $5,738 |
| State income tax | $2,775 | $0 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $975 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $57,843 | $61,593 |
Every tool for your move
Compare places
- All states compared Take-home pay, prices and rent for all 50 states and DC, ranked.
- City to city Compare any two of 149 U.S. cities: salary, rent, taxes, risk.
- Cost of living by state Prices, taxes and the salary it takes to rent, buy, or live a typical lifestyle in every state.
- Where Americans move IRS data on which states people are leaving and choosing.
- Where should I move? Rank every state by the costs that matter most to you.
Plan the move
- Moving cost Truck, container or full-service movers, priced by route and home size.
- Car shipping cost Open or enclosed, sedan or SUV, including Hawaii and Alaska.
- Moving checklist A week-by-week plan for an out-of-state move.
- New resident deadlines Driver license and car registration deadlines and fees by state.
- Live and work in two states Reciprocity, credits and remote-work rules for cross-border commuters.
Live there
- Income to buy a house Monthly cost of owning and the income lenders expect in every state.
- Property tax by county Effective rates for every U.S. county.
- Health insurance 2026 Marketplace premiums in every state, by age.
- Disaster risk FEMA hazard risk for every state and county.
- Retirement taxes How each state taxes Social Security, pensions and 401(k) withdrawals.
- Retire on a budget Which states and cities fit your monthly retirement budget.
The moves Americans make most
Ranked by households that moved in 2022–2023 (IRS). Numbers show a $100,000 salary.
| Move | Take-home change | Buying power | Equal salary | Households |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California to Texas | +$6,355 | +24.0% | $78,200 | 44,417 |
| New York to New Jersey | +$481 | -0.2% | $100,200 | 43,699 |
| New York to Florida | +$5,272 | +11.8% | $88,100 | 43,187 |
| California to Arizona | +$4,257 | +16.4% | $84,000 | 28,402 |
| Florida to Georgia | -$4,242 | +1.6% | $98,200 | 28,263 |
| New Jersey to New York | -$481 | +0.2% | $99,800 | 26,793 |
| California to Nevada | +$6,355 | +20.4% | $81,000 | 26,210 |
| Texas to California | -$6,355 | -19.3% | $129,500 | 24,970 |
| California to Washington | +$4,968 | +10.5% | $89,300 | 24,625 |
| Florida to Texas | $0 | +6.5% | $93,100 | 24,196 |
| Georgia to Florida | +$4,242 | -1.6% | $101,800 | 23,475 |
| Florida to New York | -$5,272 | -10.6% | $113,600 | 22,011 |
Top city-to-city moves
| Move | Equal salary ($100k) | Prices | Households |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA to Riverside, CA | $92,300 | -6.3% | 41,500 |
| Riverside, CA to Los Angeles, CA | $108,200 | +6.8% | 26,275 |
| New York, NY to Miami, FL | $89,000 | +1.4% | 17,217 |
| New York, NY to Philadelphia, PA | $87,200 | -8.9% | 17,010 |
| San Jose, CA to San Francisco, CA | $105,700 | +4.7% | 15,641 |
| Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, MD | $98,200 | -4.0% | 14,713 |
| Baltimore, MD to Washington, D.C. | $101,900 | +4.2% | 12,103 |
| San Francisco, CA to San Jose, CA | $94,500 | -4.5% | 11,758 |
| Philadelphia, PA to New York, NY | $114,800 | +9.7% | 10,894 |
| Los Angeles, CA to San Diego, CA | $98,200 | -1.5% | 10,455 |
Compare any two cities Cost of living in 149 cities
Where are you moving from?
Pick your state to see every destination ranked by buying power, and where people from your state actually move.
- AL Alabama
- AK Alaska
- AZ Arizona
- AR Arkansas
- CA California
- CO Colorado
- CT Connecticut
- DE Delaware
- DC Washington, DC
- FL Florida
- GA Georgia
- HI Hawaii
- ID Idaho
- IL Illinois
- IN Indiana
- IA Iowa
- KS Kansas
- KY Kentucky
- LA Louisiana
- ME Maine
- MD Maryland
- MA Massachusetts
- MI Michigan
- MN Minnesota
- MS Mississippi
- MO Missouri
- MT Montana
- NE Nebraska
- NV Nevada
- NH New Hampshire
- NJ New Jersey
- NM New Mexico
- NY New York
- NC North Carolina
- ND North Dakota
- OH Ohio
- OK Oklahoma
- OR Oregon
- PA Pennsylvania
- RI Rhode Island
- SC South Carolina
- SD South Dakota
- TN Tennessee
- TX Texas
- UT Utah
- VT Vermont
- VA Virginia
- WA Washington
- WV West Virginia
- WI Wisconsin
- WY Wyoming
How the calculator works
Real take-home pay
Your salary runs through 2026 federal brackets, Social Security and Medicare, each state's income tax and payroll programs such as California SDI.
Local prices
We adjust for what money buys in each state with the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, then add rent, home values and property tax from the Census Bureau.
The move itself
Moving costs are modeled from hundreds of published quotes on real routes, and road distance from Census population centers.
What happens after
License and registration deadlines, retirement taxes, and rules for working across a state line, from official state sources.