Which states have no income tax?

Currently Texas, Florida, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Tennessee, and New Hampshire. New Hampshire taxes investment income but not wages. Every city on this list sits in one of those states, and the ranking covers only cities in the Landable dataset, so Wyoming and South Dakota do not appear (no cities from those states are tracked).

Is no state income tax actually that big a deal?

At $100k gross, a 5% state rate costs $5,000 a year. At $200k it is $10,000 or more. California and New York both run above 9% for middle-to-high earners. For a remote worker who can pick any city, the location choice is effectively a salary decision: moving from a 9% state to a 0% state on a $150k income is roughly equivalent to a $13,000 raise before any cost-of-living difference.

Why is Seattle so expensive if Washington has no income tax?

No state income tax is one variable; rent is another. Seattle carries a median rent above $2,100, which the affordability score reflects. The list ranks the full picture, so cities with zero tax but very high rent score lower than cities with zero tax and a reasonable rent line. The tax advantage is real; it just does not override every other cost.

What about property taxes and sales taxes?

States without income tax often compensate with higher property or sales taxes. Texas and Washington both run above-average sales tax rates. This list focuses on income tax because that is the line item most directly tied to salary level, but a full cost-of-living comparison should account for property taxes (relevant to homeowners) and sales tax (relevant to everyone).

10 Best Cities in States With No Income Tax (2026)

State income tax is a line item most people accept as fixed until they realize it is not. At $100k gross, a 5% state rate costs $5,000 a year. At $150k, states like California and New York take $12,000 to $15,000 before federal taxes even enter the picture. For remote workers who can deliver the same job from a different zip code, the decision of where to live is essentially a salary decision. Eight states currently levy no income tax at all: Texas, Florida, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Tennessee, and New Hampshire. Every city on this list sits in one of them.

The ranking does not stop at the tax line. Filtering to zero-tax states produces a pool of dozens of cities; this list then sorts that pool by livability, weighting affordability and weather equally at 25% each, parks at 20%, and walkability and activity at 15% each. The cities that rise are the ones where the tax advantage compounds with a rent line and a climate that make the move worth taking seriously on its own terms.

the ranking

01
FL
Photo by Rolando Yera on Unsplash
Miami
FL · 6.2M metro
Miami tops the list. Zero state income tax, $2,665 median rent, and 272 pleasant days a year. The tax advantage here stacks on top of a livability score that earns the top slot independently.
0%
state and local income tax
$2,665
median rent / month
272
pleasant days a year
see the full dispatch for Miami
02
FL
Photo by Joseph Corl on Unsplash
Sarasota
FL · 262k metro
Sarasota runs second. Zero state income tax, $2,121 a month, 249 pleasant days. The combination of a low rent line and a state that takes nothing is what makes the math on a move here so clean.
0%
state and local income tax
$2,121
median rent / month
249
pleasant days a year
see the full dispatch for Sarasota
03
WA
Photo by Toan Chu on Unsplash
Seattle
WA · 4.0M metro
Third is Seattle. State income tax: zero. Median rent: $2,193. Pleasant days: 182. A city that earns its place in this ranking on livability, not just on the tax line.
0%
state and local income tax
$2,193
median rent / month
182
pleasant days a year
see the full dispatch for Seattle
04
FL
Photo by Viktoria B. on Pexels
Pensacola
FL · 530k metro
Pensacola lands at four. Zero state income tax, $1,752 median rent, 226 pleasant days on the calendar. The kind of place where the no-tax advantage arrives on top of a city that already has things going for it.
0%
state and local income tax
$1,752
median rent / month
226
pleasant days a year
see the full dispatch for Pensacola
05
TX
Photo by Grace Estrada on Unsplash
El Paso
TX · 872k metro
El Paso at five. Zero state income tax, $1,473 a month, 222 pleasant days. The gross-to-after-state gap is the same as everywhere else in this list (zero), but the livability score puts it in the top half.
0%
state and local income tax
$1,473
median rent / month
222
pleasant days a year
see the full dispatch for El Paso
06
NV
Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash
Reno
NV · 565k metro
Reno sits at six. Zero state income tax, $1,908 median rent, 201 pleasant days. Enough city to make the move worthwhile; enough tax savings to make it a financial decision too.
0%
state and local income tax
$1,908
median rent / month
201
pleasant days a year
see the full dispatch for Reno
07
WA
Photo by William Jacobs on Pexels
Spokane
WA · 600k metro
Spokane ranks seventh. Zero state income tax, $1,520 a month, 164 pleasant days. The tax filter gets it into the pool; the parks, weather, and rent keep it in the top ten.
0%
state and local income tax
$1,520
median rent / month
164
pleasant days a year
see the full dispatch for Spokane
08
NV
Photo by Matthias Mullie on Unsplash
Las Vegas
NV · 2.3M metro
Las Vegas lands at eight. Zero state income tax, $1,731 median rent, 210 pleasant days. Still a strong showing: zero state income tax at this rent level is a combination most metros in higher-tax states cannot match.
0%
state and local income tax
$1,731
median rent / month
210
pleasant days a year
see the full dispatch for Las Vegas
09
FL
Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
Tampa
FL · 3.3M metro
Tampa ranks ninth. Zero state income tax, $1,996 a month, 243 pleasant days. A city where the no-tax baseline is the headline and the livability score is a reasonable endorsement of the rest.
0%
state and local income tax
$1,996
median rent / month
243
pleasant days a year
see the full dispatch for Tampa
10
FL
Photo by Connor Scott McManus on Pexels
Orlando
FL · 2.8M metro
Orlando closes the ten. Zero state income tax, $1,937 median rent, 216 pleasant days. The tax advantage is identical to every other city on this list; what differs is the mix of weather, parks, and walkability that earns it the final spot.
0%
state and local income tax
$1,937
median rent / month
216
pleasant days a year
see the full dispatch for Orlando

how we ranked

Ranked 25% affordability, 25% weather (pleasant days minus extreme heat and cold), 20% parks, 15% walkability, 15% activity. Filtered to cities in states with 0% state income tax. No rent cap applied; the affordability score handles the cost dimension within the ranking.

common questions

Which states have no income tax?: Currently Texas, Florida, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Tennessee, and New Hampshire. New Hampshire taxes investment income but not wages. Every city on this list sits in one of those states, and the ranking covers only cities in the Landable dataset, so Wyoming and South Dakota do not appear (no cities from those states are tracked).
Is no state income tax actually that big a deal?: At $100k gross, a 5% state rate costs $5,000 a year. At $200k it is $10,000 or more. California and New York both run above 9% for middle-to-high earners. For a remote worker who can pick any city, the location choice is effectively a salary decision: moving from a 9% state to a 0% state on a $150k income is roughly equivalent to a $13,000 raise before any cost-of-living difference.
Why is Seattle so expensive if Washington has no income tax?: No state income tax is one variable; rent is another. Seattle carries a median rent above $2,100, which the affordability score reflects. The list ranks the full picture, so cities with zero tax but very high rent score lower than cities with zero tax and a reasonable rent line. The tax advantage is real; it just does not override every other cost.
What about property taxes and sales taxes?: States without income tax often compensate with higher property or sales taxes. Texas and Washington both run above-average sales tax rates. This list focuses on income tax because that is the line item most directly tied to salary level, but a full cost-of-living comparison should account for property taxes (relevant to homeowners) and sales tax (relevant to everyone).

also worth your time

a landable guide

Low-tax cities with great weather

a landable guide

Best affordable cities to retire

a landable guide

Most affordable places to live in America

a landable guide

Best cities to live in Texas

find your own top 10

run your numbers

Best cities in states with no income tax

the ranking

how we ranked

common questions

also worth your time