2026 Empirical Study: Net Take-Home Pay Adjusted for Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Purchasing Power Parities
Earning a six-figure salary of $100,000 yields vastly different standards of living depending on location. A resident in South Dakota (#1) retains $78,736 with a real adjusted purchasing power of $88,967, whereas a resident in Hawaii (#51) retains $71,036 with a real purchasing power of only $64,578.
| Rank | State | Net Take-Home ($) | State Tax | Cost of Living (BEA) | Real Purchasing Power ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota (SD) | $78,736 | $0 | 88.5 | $88,967 |
| 2 | Arkansas (AR) | $75,656 | $3,080 | 86.9 | $87,061 |
| 3 | Mississippi (MS) | $75,446 | $3,290 | 87 | $86,720 |
| 4 | Iowa (IA) | $76,076 | $2,660 | 87.8 | $86,647 |
| 5 | North Dakota (ND) | $76,986 | $1,750 | 89 | $86,501 |
| 6 | Tennessee (TN) | $78,736 | $0 | 91.5 | $86,050 |
| 7 | Louisiana (LA) | $75,761 | $2,975 | 88.2 | $85,897 |
| 8 | Oklahoma (OK) | $75,411 | $3,325 | 88 | $85,694 |
| 9 | Wyoming (WY) | $78,736 | $0 | 92.5 | $85,120 |
| 10 | West Virginia (WV) | $75,152 | $3,584 | 88.5 | $84,918 |
| 11 | Alabama (AL) | $75,236 | $3,500 | 88.8 | $84,725 |
| 12 | Kentucky (KY) | $75,936 | $2,800 | 90.2 | $84,186 |
| 13 | New Mexico (NM) | $74,606 | $4,130 | 89.5 | $83,359 |
| 14 | Missouri (MO) | $75,376 | $3,360 | 90.5 | $83,288 |
| 15 | Kansas (KS) | $74,746 | $3,990 | 90.1 | $82,959 |
| 16 | Nebraska (NE) | $74,648 | $4,088 | 90.5 | $82,484 |
| 17 | Ohio (OH) | $76,286 | $2,450 | 92.5 | $82,471 |
| 18 | Indiana (IN) | $76,601 | $2,135 | 93.3 | $82,102 |
| 19 | Nevada (NV) | $78,736 | $0 | 97.5 | $80,755 |
| 20 | North Carolina (NC) | $75,586 | $3,150 | 94.5 | $79,985 |
| 21 | South Carolina (SC) | $74,256 | $4,480 | 93.5 | $79,418 |
| 22 | Texas (TX) | $78,736 | $0 | 99.5 | $79,132 |
| 23 | Michigan (MI) | $75,761 | $2,975 | 96.2 | $78,754 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania (PA) | $76,587 | $2,149 | 97.5 | $78,551 |
| 25 | Montana (MT) | $74,606 | $4,130 | 95 | $78,533 |
| 26 | Wisconsin (WI) | $73,381 | $5,355 | 93.5 | $78,482 |
| 27 | Idaho (ID) | $74,750 | $3,986 | 95.5 | $78,272 |
| 28 | Georgia (GA) | $74,963 | $3,773 | 96.3 | $77,843 |
| 29 | Alaska (AK) | $78,736 | $0 | 102.4 | $76,891 |
| 30 | Utah (UT) | $75,481 | $3,255 | 98.5 | $76,630 |
| 31 | Arizona (AZ) | $76,986 | $1,750 | 100.7 | $76,451 |
| 32 | Florida (FL) | $78,736 | $0 | 103.4 | $76,147 |
| 33 | Maine (ME) | $73,731 | $5,005 | 97.1 | $75,933 |
| 34 | Illinois (IL) | $75,271 | $3,465 | 100 | $75,271 |
| 35 | New Hampshire (NH) | $78,736 | $0 | 105.5 | $74,631 |
| 36 | Delaware (DE) | $74,116 | $4,620 | 99.8 | $74,265 |
| 37 | Colorado (CO) | $75,656 | $3,080 | 103.1 | $73,381 |
| 38 | Minnesota (MN) | $71,841 | $6,895 | 98.5 | $72,935 |
| 39 | Virginia (VA) | $74,711 | $4,025 | 102.5 | $72,889 |
| 40 | Rhode Island (RI) | $74,543 | $4,193 | 102.5 | $72,725 |
| 41 | Washington (WA) | $78,736 | $0 | 108.5 | $72,568 |
| 42 | Vermont (VT) | $72,611 | $6,125 | 101.5 | $71,538 |
| 43 | Connecticut (CT) | $73,843 | $4,893 | 103.6 | $71,277 |
| 44 | Maryland (MD) | $74,711 | $4,025 | 105 | $71,153 |
| 45 | Oregon (OR) | $71,806 | $6,930 | 104.5 | $68,714 |
| 46 | Massachusetts (MA) | $72,436 | $6,300 | 105.8 | $68,465 |
| 47 | New York (NY) | $71,106 | $7,630 | 108.5 | $65,535 |
| 48 | New Jersey (NJ) | $71,211 | $7,525 | 108.8 | $65,451 |
| 49 | District of Columbia (DC) | $71,211 | $7,525 | 109.9 | $64,796 |
| 50 | Hawaii (HI) | $71,036 | $7,700 | 110 | $64,578 |
| 51 | California (CA) | $69,426 | $9,310 | 110.7 | $62,715 |