Right now you’re probably feeling the pain of paying taxes. If you’re lucky, you’re getting a refund.
If you live in one of the seven states with no state income tax (Nevada, Washington, South Dakota, Texas, Florida, Wyoming and Alaska) you’re enjoying lower state income tax than the rest of the country, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're tax burden is lower.
The ratio known as the “tax burden” is different from tax rates, which vary widely based on an individual’s circumstances. Tax burden measures the proportion of total personal income that residents pay toward state and local taxes. The common types of taxes that many states impose on individuals are personal income tax, sales tax, and property tax.
State tax burdens aren't uniform across the country. For example, while Nevada and Washington have no state income tax, they have the second and third highest sales & excise taxes, and they rank No. 33 and 30, respectively, for overall tax burden.
To determine the states that tax their residents the most and least aggressively, WalletHub compared the 50 states across the three tax types of state tax burdens — property taxes, individual income taxes and sales/excise taxes — as a share of total personal income in the state. Each category is expressed as a percent, followed by that state’s ranking in the individual category—(1) is the highest, and (50) is lowest.
1. New York
- Total tax burden: 12.75%
- Property tax burden: 4.43% (rank: 6)
- Individual income tax burden: 4.90% (rank: 1=highest)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.42% (rank: 25)
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2. Hawaii
- Total tax burden: 12.70%
- Property tax burden: 2.55% (34)
- Individual income tax burden: 3.18% (8)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 6.97% (Highest)
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3. Maine
- Total tax burden: 11.42%
- Property tax burden: 5.48% (Highest)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.51% (21)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.43% (24)
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4. Vermont
- Total tax burden: 11.13%
- Property tax burden: 5.31% (2)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.49% (22)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.33% (27)
5. Minnesota
- Total tax burden: 10.20%
- Property tax burden: 2.93% (22)
- Individual income tax burden: 3.74% (5)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.53% (22)
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6. New Jersey
- Total tax burden: 10.11%
- Property tax burden: 4.98% (4)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.54% (20)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 2.59% (43)
7. Connecticut
- Total tax burden: 10.06%
- Property tax burden: 4.16% (7)
- Individual income tax burden: 3.07% (11)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 2.83% (41)
8. Rhode Island
- Total tax burden: 9.91%
- Property tax burden: 4.48% (5)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.31% (28)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.12% (34)
9. California
- Total tax burden: 9.72%
- Property tax burden: 2.76% (30)
- Individual income tax burden: 3.80% (4)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.16% (32)
10. Illinois
- Total tax burden: 9.70%
- Property tax burden: 3.98% (8)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.22% (30)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.50% (23)
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11. Maryland
- Total tax burden: 9.47%
- Property tax burden: 2.61% (33)
- Individual income tax burden: 4.07% (3)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 2.79% (42)
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12. New Mexico
- Total tax burden: 9.37%
- Property tax burden: 2.04% (42)
- Individual income tax burden: 1.75% (37)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 5.58% (4)
13. Iowa
- Total tax burden: 9.34%
- Property tax burden: 3.42% (14)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.57% (18)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.35% (26)
14. Kansas
- Total tax burden: 9.34%
- Property tax burden: 3.11% (18)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.43% (23)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.80% (18)
15. Utah
- Total tax burden: 9.19%
- Property tax burden: 2.36% (37)
- Individual income tax burden: 3.17% (9)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.66% (19)
16. Mississippi
- Total tax burden: 9.16%
- Property tax burden: 2.84% (23)
- Individual income tax burden: 1.70% (39)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 4.62% (7)
17. West Virginia
- Total tax burden: 9.08%
- Property tax burden: 2.28% (40)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.76% (14)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 4.04% (12)
18. Nebraska
- Total tax burden: 9.01%
- Property tax burden: 3.69% (10)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.41% (24)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 2.91% (39)
19. Ohio
- Total tax burden: 8.99%
- Property tax burden: 2.78% (27)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.60% (17)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.61% (21)
20. Wisconsin
- Total tax burden: 8.92%
- Property tax burden: 3.17% (16)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.83% (13)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 2.92% (38)
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21. Massachusetts
- Total tax burden: 8.80%
- Property tax burden: 3.49% (12)
- Individual income tax burden: 3.35% (6)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 1.96% (45)
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22. Arkansas
- Total tax burden: 8.77%
- Property tax burden: 1.77% (46)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.24% (29)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 4.76% (6)
23. Kentucky
- Total tax burden: 8.77%
- Property tax burden: 1.99% (44)
- Individual income tax burden: 3.16% (10)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.62% (20)
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24. Louisiana
- Total tax burden: 8.75%
- Property tax burden: 1.95% (45)
- Individual income tax burden: 1.74% (38)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 5.06% (5)
25. Oregon
- Total tax burden: 8.65%
- Property tax burden: 3.14% (17)
- Individual income tax burden: 4.39% (2)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 1.12% (lowest)
26. Pennsylvania
- Total tax burden: 8.57%
- Property tax burden: 2.81% (25)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.57% (18)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.19% (30)
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27. Colorado
- Total tax burden: 8.52%
- Property tax burden: 2.97% (20)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.32% (27)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.23% (29)
28. Indiana
- Total tax burden: 8.42%
- Property tax burden: 2.34% (38)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.17% (32)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.91% (15)
29. Arizona
- Total tax burden: 8.39%
- Property tax burden: 2.50% (35)
- Individual income tax burden: 1.60% (40)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 4.29% (8)
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30. Washington
- Total tax burden: 8.37%
- Property tax burden: 2.63% (32)
- Individual income tax burden: 0.00% (lowest)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 5.74% (3)
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31. Michigan
- Total tax burden: 8.25%
- Property tax burden: 3.09% (19)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.19% (31)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 2.97% (36)
32. Texas
- Total tax burden: 8.22%
- Property tax burden: 3.97% (9)
- Individual income tax burden: 0.00% (lowest)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 4.25% (11)
33. Nevada
- Total tax burden: 8.19%
- Property tax burden: 2.03% (43)
- Individual income tax burden: 0.00% (lowest)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 6.16% (2)
34. Virginia
- Total tax burden: 8.18%
- Property tax burden: 2.97% (20)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.92% (12)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 2.29% (44)
35. North Carolina
- Total tax burden: 8.16%
- Property tax burden: 2.19% (41)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.65% (16)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.32 (28)
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36. Georgia
- Total tax burden: 8.01%
- Property tax burden: 2.68% (31)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.38% (25)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 2.95% (37)
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37. North Dakota
- Total tax burden: 8.00%
- Property tax burden: 2.77% (28)
- Individual income tax burden: 0.95% (41)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 4.28% (9)
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38. Missouri
- Total tax burden: 7.80%
- Property tax burden: 2.30% (39)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.36% (26)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.14% (33)
39. South Carolina
- Total tax burden: 7.67%
- Property tax burden: 2.80 (26)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.03% (33)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 2.84% (40)
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40. Idaho
- Total tax burden: 7.59%
- Property tax burden: 2.39% (36)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.03% (33)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.17% (31)
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41. Oklahoma
- Total tax burden: 7.47%
- Property tax burden: 1.74% (48)
- Individual income tax burden: 1.90% (36)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.83% (17)
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42. Alabama
- Total tax burden: 7.41%
- Property tax burden: 1.41% (lowest)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.00% (35)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 4.00% (13)
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43. Montana
- Total tax burden: 7.39%
- Property tax burden: 3.45% (13)
- Individual income tax burden: 2.66% (15)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 1.28% (47)
44. South Dakota
- Total tax burden: 7.12%
- Property tax burden: 2.84% (23)
- Individual income tax burden: 0.00% (lowest)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 4.28% (9)
45. Florida
- Total tax burden: 6.64%
- Property tax burden: 2.77% (28)
- Individual income tax burden: 0.00% (lowest)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.87% (16)
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46. New Hampshire
- Total tax burden: 6.41%
- Property tax burden: 5.11% (3)
- Individual income tax burden: 0.14% (42)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 1.16% (49)
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47. Wyoming
- Total tax burden: 6.32%
- Property tax burden: 3.32% (15)
- Individual income tax burden: 0.00% (lowest)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.00% (35)
48. Delaware
- Total tax burden: 6.22%
- Property tax burden: 1.77% (46)
- Individual income tax burden: 3.28% (7)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 1.17% (48)
49. Tennessee
- Total tax burden: 5.75%
- Property tax burden: 1.71% (49)
- Individual income tax burden: 0.06% (43)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 3.98% (14)
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50. Alaska
- Total tax burden: 5.06%
- Property tax burden: 3.54% (11)
- Individual income tax burden: 0.00% (lowest)
- Total sales & excise tax burden: 1.52% (46)
Read more about the tax burdens by state at WalletHub.
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