WalletHub’s data-driven map visualizes the tax burden across all US states in March 2024, showing that New York has the highest tax burden while Alaska has the lowest, with detailed breakdowns.
Based on data gathered by WalletHub, this map graphic illustrates the overall tax burden in each state in the United States as of March 2024.
It’s critical to realize that this methodology calculates the tax burden, which is the percentage of average income that is allocated to state and local taxes. It takes income taxes, sales, and excise taxes into account.
Data and Methodology
The table below contains a list of the figures we used to make this visual.
| State | Total Tax Burden |
|---|---|
| New York | 12.0% |
| Hawaii | 11.8% |
| Vermont | 11.1% |
| Maine | 10.7% |
| California | 10.4% |
| Connecticut | 10.1% |
| Minnesota | 10.0% |
| Illinois | 9.7% |
| New Jersey | 9.5% |
| Rhode Island | 9.4% |
| Utah | 9.4% |
| Kansas | 9.3% |
| Maryland | 9.3% |
| Iowa | 9.2% |
| Nebraska | 9.2% |
| Ohio | 8.9% |
| Indiana | 8.9% |
| Arkansas | 8.8% |
| Mississippi | 8.8% |
| Massachusetts | 8.6% |
| Virginia | 8.5% |
| West Virginia | 8.5% |
| Oregon | 8.4% |
| Colorado | 8.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 8.4% |
| Wisconsin | 8.3% |
| Louisiana | 8.3% |
| Kentucky | 8.3% |
| Washington | 8.0% |
| New Mexico | 8.0% |
| Michigan | 8.0% |
| North Carolina | 7.9% |
| Idaho | 7.9% |
| Arizona | 7.8% |
| Missouri | 7.8% |
| Georgia | 7.7% |
| Texas | 7.6% |
| Alabama | 7.5% |
| Montana | 7.5% |
| South Carolina | 7.5% |
| Nevada | 7.4% |
| Oklahoma | 7.0% |
| North Dakota | 6.8% |
| South Dakota | 6.4% |
| Delaware | 6.4% |
| Tennessee | 6.1% |
| Florida | 6.1% |
| Wyoming | 5.7% |
| New Hampshire | 5.6% |
| Alaska | 4.9% |
We can observe from these statistics that New York has the greatest overall tax burden. In this state, the average citizen gives the state and local governments 12% of their earnings.
The average New Yorker spends 4.6% of their income on income taxes, 4.4% on property taxes, and 3% on sales and excise taxes, to break this down into three components.
On the other hand, with taxes totaling only 4.9% of income, Alaska has the lowest tax burden of any state. The fact that Alaskans do not pay state income tax contributes to this in part.
As reported by GreatGameIndia earlier, there’s another burden on US taxpayers: the yacht “Amadea,” owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, who is under sanctions. The upkeep of this seized yacht costs US taxpayers $1 million a month, highlighting an entirely different kind of financial responsibility imposed by global political events.
Hate Paying Taxes?
Numerous additional states in the US do not impose income taxes, in addition to Alaska. These states are Wyoming, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.
It’s also important to remember that, according to the Tax Foundation, New Hampshire levies a flat 4% tax on interest and dividend income but does not have a normal income tax.
