#1Score 89
Alaska
- Income tax
- None
- Property tax
- 1.04%
- Sales tax
- 1.82%
- SS taxed?
- No
2026 Tax Year · All 50 States
Best States to Retire for Taxes in 2026
All 50 states ranked by retirement tax friendliness — income tax, Social Security treatment, retirement-account treatment, property tax, and sales tax, in one score.
Top 10 most tax-friendly states for retirees
Based on the weighted score below. States that combine no income tax with low property tax dominate the top of this list.
#2Score 87
Wyoming
- Income tax
- None
- Property tax
- 0.58%
- Sales tax
- 5.44%
- SS taxed?
- No
#3Score 85
New Hampshire
- Income tax
- None
- Property tax
- 1.89%
- Sales tax
- 0.00%
- SS taxed?
- No
#4Score 83
Nevada
- Income tax
- None
- Property tax
- 0.55%
- Sales tax
- 8.24%
- SS taxed?
- No
#5Score 82
Florida
- Income tax
- None
- Property tax
- 0.91%
- Sales tax
- 7.00%
- SS taxed?
- No
#6Score 81
South Dakota
- Income tax
- None
- Property tax
- 1.17%
- Sales tax
- 6.40%
- SS taxed?
- No
#7Score 80
Tennessee
- Income tax
- None
- Property tax
- 0.67%
- Sales tax
- 9.55%
- SS taxed?
- No
#8Score 79
Washington
- Income tax
- None
- Property tax
- 0.87%
- Sales tax
- 9.38%
- SS taxed?
- No
#9Score 74
Texas
- Income tax
- None
- Property tax
- 1.68%
- Sales tax
- 8.20%
- SS taxed?
- No
#10Score 69
Pennsylvania
- Income tax
- 3.07%
- Property tax
- 1.49%
- Sales tax
- 6.34%
- SS taxed?
- No
All 50 states, ranked
Sortable rankings refresh annually from public state and federal sources. Run the calculator with your own income mix for a personalized answer.
| Rank | State | Score | Income tax | Property tax | Sales tax | SS exempt | 401(k) exempt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 89 | — | 1.04% | 1.82% | ||
| 2 | Wyoming | 87 | — | 0.58% | 5.44% | ||
| 3 | New Hampshire | 85 | — | 1.89% | 0.00% | ||
| 4 | Nevada | 83 | — | 0.55% | 8.24% | ||
| 5 | Florida | 82 | — | 0.91% | 7.00% | ||
| 6 | South Dakota | 81 | — | 1.17% | 6.40% | ||
| 7 | Tennessee | 80 | — | 0.67% | 9.55% | ||
| 8 | Washington | 79 | — | 0.87% | 9.38% | ||
| 9 | Texas | 74 | — | 1.68% | 8.20% | ||
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 69 | 3.07% | 1.49% | 6.34% | ||
| 11 | Mississippi | 68 | 4.70% | 0.79% | 7.07% | ||
| 12 | Arizona | 67 | 2.50% | 0.62% | 8.38% | ||
| 13 | Delaware | 67 | 6.60% | 0.61% | 0.00% | ||
| 14 | Iowa | 65 | 3.80% | 1.50% | 6.94% | ||
| 15 | Kentucky | 64 | 4.00% | 0.83% | 6.00% | ||
| 16 | West Virginia | 62 | 5.10% | 0.55% | 6.56% | ||
| 17 | Louisiana | 60 | 4.25% | 0.55% | 9.56% | ||
| 18 | Alabama | 59 | 5.00% | 0.40% | 9.25% | ||
| 19 | Arkansas | 59 | 4.40% | 0.62% | 9.46% | ||
| 20 | Michigan | 59 | 4.25% | 1.38% | 6.00% | ||
| 21 | North Dakota | 59 | 2.50% | 0.94% | 7.04% | ||
| 22 | Ohio | 59 | 3.50% | 1.43% | 7.24% | ||
| 23 | Virginia | 59 | 5.75% | 0.80% | 5.77% | ||
| 24 | Georgia | 58 | 5.39% | 0.83% | 7.38% | ||
| 25 | Hawaii | 58 | 7.90% | 0.28% | 4.44% | ||
| 26 | Indiana | 58 | 3.05% | 0.84% | 7.00% | ||
| 27 | Maryland | 57 | 5.75% | 1.05% | 6.00% | ||
| 28 | Missouri | 57 | 4.80% | 0.91% | 8.38% | ||
| 29 | Oklahoma | 57 | 4.75% | 0.85% | 8.99% | ||
| 30 | South Carolina | 56 | 6.40% | 0.57% | 7.44% | ||
| 31 | North Carolina | 55 | 4.50% | 0.70% | 7.00% | ||
| 32 | Rhode Island | 55 | 4.75% | 1.53% | 7.00% | ||
| 33 | Wisconsin | 55 | 5.30% | 1.61% | 5.43% | ||
| 34 | Illinois | 54 | 4.95% | 2.08% | 8.88% | ||
| 35 | Idaho | 52 | 5.80% | 0.67% | 6.02% | ||
| 36 | Maine | 51 | 7.15% | 1.24% | 5.50% | ||
| 37 | Massachusetts | 51 | 5.00% | 1.14% | 6.25% | ||
| 38 | Montana | 50 | 5.90% | 0.74% | 0.00% | ||
| 39 | Oregon | 50 | 8.70% | 0.93% | 0.00% | ||
| 40 | Colorado | 45 | 4.40% | 0.51% | 7.84% | ||
| 41 | New York | 45 | 6.50% | 1.73% | 8.53% | ||
| 42 | New Jersey | 44 | 6.37% | 2.33% | 6.60% | ||
| 43 | Kansas | 43 | 5.70% | 1.34% | 8.75% | ||
| 44 | Nebraska | 43 | 5.84% | 1.63% | 6.97% | ||
| 45 | New Mexico | 42 | 4.90% | 0.67% | 7.79% | ||
| 46 | Connecticut | 41 | 5.50% | 2.14% | 6.35% | ||
| 47 | Utah | 38 | 4.55% | 0.57% | 6.89% | ||
| 48 | California | 36 | 9.30% | 0.75% | 8.82% | ||
| 49 | Vermont | 29 | 6.60% | 1.83% | 6.36% | ||
| 50 | Minnesota | 25 | 6.85% | 1.02% | 8.05% |
How to choose the best state to retire for taxes
A "best" state depends on the shape of your retirement income. Someone living mostly on Social Security cares far more about whether that benefit is taxed than about the top marginal rate. Someone with a paid-off home in a high-property-tax county may save more by moving across a state line than by chasing a 0% income tax cross-country.
Which states have no income tax for retirees?
Nine states currently levy no state income tax on any earnings, retirement income included: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Most of these recoup revenue elsewhere — Texas through property tax, Tennessee and Washington through sales tax.
Which states do not tax Social Security?
As of 2026 the large majority of states fully exempt Social Security from state tax. Only a handful — including Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia — still tax some portion, and several of those use income-based exemptions that protect lower-income retirees.
What about estate and inheritance taxes?
Roughly a dozen states still impose an estate or inheritance tax, and the exemption thresholds vary widely. If leaving an estate matters to your plan, see our state-by-state estate & inheritance tax guide.
Run your own numbers
Rankings are useful, but your situation is specific. Drop your actual income mix into the calculator to see net retirement income across any two states, side by side.
Open the calculator →