ONE LASTING LEGACY OF THE coronavirus pandemic is that many people will be able to work from home permanently. That has compelled some workers who are no longer tethered to the office to consider moving—to the suburbs, for example, or to a place that’s less expensive or closer to family.
To help families makesmart choices, a state-by-stateguide for middle-incomefamilies. Our analysis lookedat the overall income, salesand property tax burden ineach state for a hypotheticalmarried couple with twochildren, $77,000 in combined wages, $3,000 of otherincome and a $300,000home. Here are the fivemost-friendly and leastfriendly states for our hypothetical family.
A. MOST FRIENDLY
1. WYOMING
- State income tax: none.
- Average combined state and local sales tax rate: 5.32%
- Wyoming’s generous revenues from mineral and energy extraction allow it to keep taxes on residents low across the board.
2. NEVADA
- State income tax: none
- Average combined state and local sales tax rate: 8.23%
- Along with no income tax, Nevada has the fourthlowest average property tax rates in the country. However, the combined sales tax is the 12th highest in the U.S., according to the Tax Foundation.
3. FLORIDA
- State income tax: none
- Average combined state and local sales tax rate: 7.05%
- Florida’s income tax rate of zero keeps state taxes low for middle-class families, but property taxes and sales taxes are about average for the U.S
4. TENNESSEE
- State income tax: none
- Average combined state and local sales tax rate: 9.55%
- Tennessee has no broadbased income tax and property taxes are reasonable, but sales taxes are the highest in the U.S.
5. WASHINGTON
- State income tax: none
- Average combined state and local sales tax rate: 9.23%
- Washington doesn’t have an income tax, and property taxes are about average, but sales taxes are high.
B. LEAST FRIENDLY
1. ILLINOIS
- State income tax: 4.95% (flat)
- Average combined state and local sales tax rate: 8.8%
- Illinois’s income and sales taxes are above average for middle-class families, and its property taxes are the second highest in the U.S
2. CONNECTICUT
- State income tax: 3% – 6%
- Average combined state and local sales tax rate: 6.35%
- Sales taxes in Connecticut are reasonable, but the state’s income taxes for middle-income families are on the high end, and property taxes are the third highest in the U.S.
3. IOWA
- State income tax: 0.33% – 8.53%
- Average combined state and local sales tax rate: 6.94%
- Iowa’s income tax on our hypothetical family is the third highest in the U.S., and property taxes are above average, too.
4. NEW JERSEY
- State income tax: 1.4% – 10.75%
- Average combined state and local sales tax rate: 6.6%
- Income taxes are relatively low and sales taxes are below average, but New Jersey’s property taxes are the highest in the U.S.
- The statewide average property tax on a $300,000 home in
- New Jersey is a whopping $7,251.
5. NEW YORK
- State income tax: 4%–8.82%
- Average combined state and local sales tax rate: 8.52%
- Although its income taxes aren’t too burdensome for middle-class families, New York’s average combined state and local sales tax rate is the 10th highest in the country.
- Property taxes are up there, too: The average property tax on a $300,000 home in New York is $5,076.