Which state is cheapest depends on what you earn and how you file. A zero-income-tax state doesn’t automatically win — if its cost of living is high, a state with a modest income tax and significantly below-average prices can easily outrank it.
Each scenario below runs a gross salary through real 2025 federal and state tax brackets, then adjusts the take-home figure for the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s Regional Price Parities (2024 data, national average = 100). The result is purchasing power: what your after-tax dollars actually buy relative to the national average. States ranked first are the ones where your money goes the furthest.
#StateTake-Home PayPurchasing PowerCost Level
Most affordable
1South Dakota$61,314$69,210-11.4%
2North Dakota$61,089$68,670-11.0%
3Louisiana$59,439$67,383-11.8%
4Arkansas$58,568$67,366-13.1%
5Mississippi$58,555$67,343-13.0%
6Tennessee$61,314$66,739-8.1%
7Iowa$58,464$66,617-12.2%
8Oklahoma$58,241$66,304-12.2%
9Wyoming$61,314$66,149-7.3%
10West Virginia$58,537$65,404-10.5%
Least affordable
41Virginia$57,747$57,119+1.1%
42Colorado$58,674$56,937+3.0%
43Connecticut$57,938$55,920+3.6%
44Maryland$57,932$55,194+5.0%
45Massachusetts$57,564$54,428+5.8%
46New Jersey$58,662$53,913+8.8%
47New York$57,793$53,552+7.9%
48Oregon$55,305$53,507+3.4%
49California$58,296$52,652+10.7%
50Hawaii$57,057$51,893+10.0%
#StateTake-Home PayPurchasing PowerCost Level
Most affordable
1South Dakota$64,520$72,829-11.4%
2North Dakota$64,520$72,526-11.0%
3Louisiana$63,020$71,443-11.8%
4Arkansas$61,868$71,162-13.1%
5Mississippi$61,862$71,147-13.0%
6Oklahoma$61,937$70,511-12.2%
7Iowa$61,670$70,271-12.2%
8Tennessee$64,520$70,229-8.1%
9Wyoming$64,520$69,608-7.3%
10Nebraska$62,432$69,292-9.9%
Least affordable
41Colorado$62,540$60,689+3.0%
42Washington$64,520$60,293+7.0%
43Connecticut$61,644$59,497+3.6%
44Maryland$61,268$58,373+5.0%
45New Jersey$63,049$57,945+8.8%
46Massachusetts$60,770$57,460+5.8%
47Oregon$59,065$57,145+3.4%
48New York$61,610$57,088+7.9%
49California$63,198$57,079+10.7%
50Hawaii$61,563$55,992+10.0%
#StateTake-Home PayPurchasing PowerCost Level
Most affordable
1South Dakota$182,984$206,551-11.4%
2North Dakota$179,347$201,604-11.0%
3Arkansas$173,413$199,463-13.1%
4Louisiana$175,859$199,364-11.8%
5Tennessee$182,984$199,177-8.1%
6Mississippi$172,525$198,419-13.0%
7Iowa$173,484$197,680-12.2%
8Wyoming$182,984$197,415-7.3%
9Oklahoma$171,599$195,354-12.2%
10Alabama$170,674$192,157-11.2%
Least affordable
41Colorado$172,644$167,534+3.0%
42Virginia$169,355$167,512+1.1%
43Connecticut$168,984$163,096+3.6%
44Maryland$170,372$162,321+5.0%
45Massachusetts$170,484$161,199+5.8%
46New York$168,806$156,418+7.9%
47New Jersey$169,185$155,487+8.8%
48Oregon$160,257$155,048+3.4%
49Hawaii$164,664$149,762+10.0%
50California$163,707$147,856+10.7%
#StateTake-Home PayPurchasing PowerCost Level
Most affordable
1South Dakota$196,873$222,229-11.4%
2North Dakota$194,162$218,257-11.0%
3Arkansas$187,396$215,547-13.1%
4Louisiana$190,123$215,534-11.8%
5Mississippi$186,515$214,509-13.0%
6Tennessee$196,873$214,295-8.1%
7Iowa$187,373$213,506-12.2%
8Wyoming$196,873$212,399-7.3%
9Oklahoma$185,978$211,724-12.2%
10Alabama$184,878$208,149-11.2%
Least affordable
41Virginia$183,733$181,734+1.1%
42Colorado$187,193$181,652+3.0%
43Connecticut$184,373$177,949+3.6%
44Maryland$184,850$176,115+5.0%
45Massachusetts$184,373$174,331+5.8%
46New York$183,976$170,474+7.9%
47Oregon$176,106$170,381+3.4%
48New Jersey$184,990$170,012+8.8%
49Hawaii$180,759$164,401+10.0%
50California$181,575$163,995+10.7%
Want to see how a specific move stacks up? The calculator compares real take-home pay and cost of living between any two states, side by side.