StateTakeHome

What it is

StateTakeHome is a data-driven calculator platform that computes exact take-home pay across all 50 US states plus DC. Every calculation uses official sources: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 for federal brackets, each state's Department of Revenue for state taxes, and the Social Security Administration wage base. The platform models federal income tax, FICA (Social Security at 6.2% and Medicare at 1.45%), state income tax, and state-specific levies like California SDI or NYC local tax, plus pre-tax 401(k) and health insurance deductions.

The site features an interactive calculator letting users enter annual salary and state to see immediate take-home figures with monthly and bi-weekly breakdowns. It includes 51 state-specific calculators, a live comparison map showing take-home by state, and over 550 related tools covering property tax, sales tax, hourly-to-annual conversions, and self-employment tax. The platform also provides explanations of nine no-income-tax states, 2026 federal brackets, and how 401(k) and other deductions affect take-home pay.

StateTakeHome emphasizes data freshness and reproducibility: all rates are labeled with tax-year vintage, verified directly against official publications, and updated when sources change. Calculations run entirely in the browser with no data sent to servers. The team publishes methodology, sources, and datasets as open data for researchers and journalists.

Questions from the bench

How is take-home pay calculated in the United States?

Take-home pay starts with gross salary and subtracts federal income tax (using 2026 IRS brackets after the standard deduction), Social Security at 6.2% on the first $176,100, Medicare at 1.45% (plus 0.9% above $200K single or $250K married joint), state income tax, and state-specific levies like California SDI or NYC local tax. Pre-tax 401(k) and health insurance reduce taxable income before federal tax is computed.

Which US states have no income tax in 2026?

Nine states do not tax wage income: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire (no tax on wages), South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington (which has a 7% capital gains tax above $270K but no wage tax), and Wyoming. Most no-income-tax states recoup revenue through higher property or sales taxes.

What are the 2026 federal income tax brackets?

For single filers, 2026 brackets are 10% on income up to $11,925, 12% to $48,475, 22% to $103,350, 24% to $197,300, 32% to $250,525, 35% to $626,350, and 37% above $626,350. The standard deduction is $15,750 for single, $31,500 for married joint, and $23,625 for head of household.

How does my 401(k) contribution affect my take-home pay?

Pre-tax 401(k) contributions reduce federal and most state taxable income but not FICA wages. Contributions save tax at your marginal rate but still incur 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare. For example, a $10,000 contribution saves about your marginal rate times $10,000 in tax but costs $620 in Social Security and $145 in Medicare.

How accurate is this paycheck calculator?

The calculator is built from IRS Publication 15-T 2026, the SSA wage base, and each state's 2026 Department of Revenue publication. Results match official withholding tables to within $50/year for most income levels. Main sources of variance are local taxes, W-4 elections, supplemental wage rules for bonuses, and state-specific credits.