California vs New York Tax Comparison
Compare total tax burden in California vs New York (including NYC city tax). See which state costs less for your salary, home value, and spending level. Updated for 2026 tax brackets.
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How to Use This Comparison
Side-by-Side Tax Bill tab
Enter your annual salary, home value, and taxable spending. The calculator computes California income tax (1-13.3%), SDI (1.3%), property tax (0.72% effective), and sales tax (8.68%) vs New York state tax (4-10.9%), NYC city tax (3.078-3.876% if applicable), property tax, and sales tax. Choose between NYC and Upstate NY to see the dramatic impact of the city income tax.
Take-Home Comparison tab
See your actual take-home pay in each state. Federal taxes and FICA are identical in both states — this tab shows how state and local taxes affect the cash that hits your bank account each month. Includes monthly and annual breakdowns.
Who Wins at Each Income? tab
A fixed comparison at $50K, $80K, $120K, $200K, and $500K salaries. See the crossover points where California becomes cheaper or more expensive than NYC and Upstate NY. The key insight: NYC is cheaper only below ~$40K.
Share your result
Every input is encoded in the URL. Click Share to send your exact scenario to a friend, partner, or financial advisor considering a move between states.
The Formulas
Each state's total tax burden is the sum of four components:
California
Income Tax = Bracket tax on (Salary − $5,540 standard deduction), 1% to 13.3%
SDI = 1.3% × min(Salary, $175,000)
Property Tax = Home Value × 0.72%
Sales Tax = Spending × 8.68%
New York (NYC)
State Income Tax = Bracket tax on (Salary − $8,500 standard deduction), 4% to 10.9%
NYC City Tax = Bracket tax on same taxable income, 3.078% to 3.876%
Property Tax = Home Value × 0.85%
Sales Tax = Spending × 8.875%
New York (Upstate)
Same as NYC but NO city income tax, property tax at ~1.70%, sales tax at ~8.0%
Federal income tax and FICA are identical in both states and are excluded from the comparison. California’s SDI (State Disability Insurance) at 1.3% is a payroll tax that New York does not have at a comparable level for most employees.
Worked Example
Priya & Sam — $120K Salary, $600K Home, $30K Spending, Single Filer
Priya lives in San Jose, CA. Sam lives in Brooklyn, NYC. Same salary, comparable home values and spending. Who keeps more?
California (Priya)
New York City (Sam)
California saves Priya $3,679 per year compared to Sam in NYC. The biggest driver is the NYC city income tax ($4,400) that has no equivalent in California. Despite California’s reputation as a high-tax state, the NYC triple-tax (federal + state + city) makes it more expensive for most earners above $40K.