Why it matters
Location = 47% burden.
17.6-point spread. $35K/año típico.
Observación
Not primary factor. Pero big for flexible people.
What you'll learn
6 conceptos.
3 niveles
Federal + State + Local.
9 no-tax states
9 states. Trade-offs exist.
Property tax
$1.4K - $12.5K on $500K home.
Sales tax
0% (5 states) - 9.5%.
City taxes
NYC combined 47%+ posible.
SALT cap
SALT cap changed everything.
3 levels
3 niveles operating independently.
FEDERAL
65% burden. Uniform.
STATE
15-25% burden. Varies.
LOCAL
10-20% burden. Homeowner-heavy.
Lógica de niveles
Cada nivel funds different services.
9 no-tax states
9 no-income-tax states.
No income tax states + trade-offs.
| State | Income | Sales | Property | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 0% | 8.20% | 1.60% | Highest property |
| Florida | 0% | 7.00% | 0.86% | Balanced retirement pick |
| Tennessee | 0% | 9.55% | 0.63% | Highest sales |
| Nevada | 0% | 8.23% | 0.55% | Tourism heavy |
| Washington | 0%* | 9.29% | 0.84% | 7% cap gains $250K+ |
| Wyoming | 0% | 5.34% | 0.55% | Best all-around |
| Alaska | 0% | 1.76% | 1.04% | Cold. PFD dividend |
| South Dakota | 0% | 6.11% | 1.14% | Wealthy retirement |
| New Hampshire | 0%* | 0% | 1.86% | No sales tax. High property |
Análisis
FL/WY/TN best. TX/NH worst-adjusted.
Highest states
Top 5 tax states.
| State | Top rate | Threshold | Property | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 13.30% | $1M+ | 0.74% | #1 highest |
| New York | 10.90% | $1.08M+ | 1.40% | #2 highest |
| New Jersey | 10.75% | $1M+ | 2.49% | #3 highest |
| Hawaii | 11.00% | $200K+ | 0.28% | #4 highest |
| Massachusetts | 9.00%* | $1M+ | 1.14% | #5 highest |
Critical thresholds
Top rates = top 1%. Middle class less impact.
Lower burden
5-7%. Wyoming #1.
Middle burden
8-10%. Balanced.
Higher burden
11-14%. Trade-off matters.
Property tax
Property tax silent killer.
$500K home — huge variance.
| State | Rate | Annual $500K | 30 años |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 0.28% | $1,400 | $42,000 |
| Alabama | 0.41% | $2,050 | $61,500 |
| Colorado | 0.51% | $2,550 | $76,500 |
| Wyoming | 0.55% | $2,750 | $82,500 |
| Nevada | 0.55% | $2,750 | $82,500 |
| California | 0.74% | $3,700 | $111,000 |
| Florida | 0.86% | $4,300 | $129,000 |
| Michigan | 1.44% | $7,200 | $216,000 |
| Ohio | 1.62% | $8,100 | $243,000 |
| Illinois | 2.08% | $10,400 | $312,000 |
| Texas | 1.60%* | $8,000* | $240,000* |
| New Jersey | 2.49% | $12,450 | $373,500 |
The shock
HI vs NJ: $331K property tax alone.
Sales tax
Sales tax combined.
| State | State | Local avg | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| New Hampshire | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Montana | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Delaware | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Alaska | 0.00% | 1.76% | 1.76% |
| Wyoming | 4.00% | 1.34% | 5.34% |
| Hawaii | 4.00% | 0.44% | 4.44% |
| Massachusetts | 6.25% | 0.00% | 6.25% |
| Florida | 6.00% | 1.02% | 7.02% |
| Texas | 6.25% | 1.95% | 8.20% |
| California | 7.25% | 1.60% | 8.85% |
| Illinois | 6.25% | 2.61% | 8.86% |
| Washington | 6.50% | 2.79% | 9.29% |
| Arkansas | 6.50% | 3.05% | 9.55% |
| Tennessee | 7.00% | 2.55% | 9.55% |
| Louisiana | 4.45% | 5.11% | 9.56% |
5 sin sales tax
$142K over 30 years. NH sin sales o income.
City taxes
City taxes: silent addition.
City tax = extra layer.
| City | State | City rate | Combined top |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | NY | 3.876% | ~52% top marginal |
| Yonkers | NY | 1.955% | ~50% top marginal |
| Philadelphia | PA | 3.79% | ~44% top marginal |
| San Francisco | CA | 0.38%* | ~54% top marginal |
| Detroit | MI | 2.4% | ~44% top marginal |
| Cleveland | OH | 2.5% | ~43% top marginal |
| Kansas City | MO | 1.0% | ~44% top marginal |
| Baltimore | MD | 3.2% | ~45% top marginal |
| Louisville | KY | 2.2% | ~44% top marginal |
| Wilmington | DE | 1.25% | ~44% top marginal |
NYC extreme
NYC 52% top. Finance workers retire out.
María story
María NY → FL.
Remote opportunity.
María, $180K remote.
NYC → Tampa. Full remote.
NYC year: $66,392 = 36.9%.
Tampa year: $48,718 = 27.1%.
$17.7K tax + $17K CoL = ~$35K/año. $1M lifetime.
Retiree traps
5 trampas para retirees.
Retirement-specific traps.
- 1
CA
$60K+ on $500K retirement.
- 2
NJ
$15K/año on $600K home.
- 3
IL
Property + ambiguity.
- 4
NY
15%+ on retirement income.
- 5
CT
Multi-tax on retirees.
Safe retirement states
FL/TN/NV/WY = retiree paradise.
Estate taxes
Estate + inheritance.
Federal $13.6M. State thresholds mucho menores.
Estate tax
MA $3M estate: $160K vs FL $0.
Inheritance tax
Paid by recipient.
Safe estate states
$3M+ net worth: state estate tax matters.
Reciprocity
Cross-border tax.
Multi-state complications.
Reciprocity states
17 pares con agreements.
No reciprocity
Pay higher of two.
Remote work landmine
NY 'convenience rule' can trap remote.
SALT cap
SALT $10K cap.
$10K cap. Game-changer.
Antes
$27K deduction típico.
Después
$17K excess = $4K extra federal.
Migration impact
SALT cap = accelerated red-state migration.
Summary
Lo que te llevas.
3 niveles
Federal + State + Local.
9 no-tax states
FL/WY/TN best.
Property tax
$331K diferencia HI-NJ 30 años.
$1M lifetime
$1M+ posible por state.
Quiz
Ejercicio rápido: 4 preguntas.
¿Cuántos states sin income tax?
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 12
¿NJ vs HI property tax 30 años?
- $50K
- $150K
- $331K
- $800K
¿NYC top combined marginal?
- 37%
- 45%
- 52%
- 60%
¿SALT cap limit?
- $5,000
- $10,000
- $15,000
- $25,000
FAQ
FAQ
¿Mudar por taxes solo?
Solo si flexibility exists.
¿$1M real?
Depende income. High earners $1M+ real.
¿Remote workers?
Real move required.
¿Military members?
Special protections.
¿Retirement enclaves?
FL/TX/TN/NV top choices.
¿SALT cap changes?
Uncertain 2025/2026.
¿Cómo comparar states?
Tool o spreadsheet full picture.
Resources & FUTURO
Herramientas y coaching con FUTURO.
-
State Comparison
Side-by-side comparison.
-
Where to Live
Ranked recommendations.
-
Property Tax Calc
30-year cumulative view.
