Relocation guide
State income tax and your take-home pay after moving
A gross salary offer does not tell you what will reach your bank account. Check payroll estimates for both locations before comparing actual spending.
Last updated September 14, 2026
Start with two consistent payroll estimates
Collect your current annual gross salary and the proposed annual gross offer. Obtain take-home estimates with the same pay frequency and assumptions. An employer's payroll illustration can identify benefit premiums and deductions that an income-tax table alone omits.
- Work and home addresses: These may be different jurisdictions. Moving within one metro can change which local rules apply.
- Filing details: Filing status, dependents, other income and deductions affect the estimate.
- Payroll deductions: Compare health coverage, retirement contributions and other deductions consistently.
- Timing: Confirm the first pay date and whether an employer payment is reimbursed later. Expected payments are not money already available.
Keep the historical price comparison separate
The RPP calculator uses BEA 2024 overall price indexes. It shows how gross salary scales with a historical metro price-level ratio. It cannot decide whether an offer leaves your household better off after tax.
Do not subtract an estimated tax saving from a gross RPP salary difference and call the result a personal shortfall. Compare consistent take-home estimates with a separate list of actual household costs.
Use actual housing and moving figures
Record your current and proposed leases, deposits, additional overlap rent and an itemized mover quote. Overall RPP already includes housing, so adding rent to the RPP salary figure counts housing twice. A refundable deposit is money tied up; list an expected refund separately until it arrives.
The budget summary keeps these amounts beside the historical context. Leave missing amounts unknown. It does not calculate a tax return or predict a cash balance.
Sources and scope
See the dated BEA and HUD sources for the historical benchmarks. For taxes, use official agency information and payroll estimates for the relevant year and your circumstances. This guide does not publish personal tax rates or an after-tax offer recommendation.
Frequently asked questions
Does a state with no wage income tax guarantee a better offer?
No. Federal payroll taxes, other taxes, benefits, deductions and household costs can still differ. Use payroll estimates and actual costs for your circumstances rather than treating a state tax label as a complete budget.
Does the ReloMath salary result include tax?
No. It multiplies gross annual salary by the destination-to-origin BEA 2024 overall RPP ratio. It does not calculate personal tax, net pay or available moving cash.
What is the difference between marginal and effective tax rates?
A marginal rate applies to income within the relevant bracket; an effective rate describes tax paid relative to income. A top marginal rate should not be applied to an entire salary. Use a payroll or tax estimate based on your own details.
Keep reading
Check published data changes
Browse the cost-of-living change log for dated source notices, data periods and effective dates. Check each notice's last-reviewed date before using it.
View cost-of-living change log