Should I move? · Tool
Move or stay: what your pay is worth in another state
Pick where you live, where you might go, and your salary. The tool takes off state income tax, adjusts for prices, and sets the result against what an interstate move costs.
You get state tax, prices, rents, home prices, and months for the move to pay off.
California to Texas
Your pay would go $15,641 a year further in Texas, after state tax and prices.
At the median interstate move on this lane ($5,300), the move pays for itself in about 5 months.
State tax on wages
$3,675 → $0
California · Texas has none. Single filer, 2026.
Prices overall
−12.3%
Texas 97.1 vs California 110.7, US = 100.
Rents
−37.5%
Housing price index 96 vs 153, US = 100.
Median home sale price
$356,100
California: $887,400. Redfin, 2026-05.
| California | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | $85,000 | $85,000 |
| State tax on wages | $3,675 | $0 |
| Left after state tax | $81,325 | $85,000 |
| Worth, in California prices | $81,325 | $96,966 |
| Salary for the same life there | $74,500 before tax |
Where are you moving?
Good crews book weeks out, especially on long-distance moves. Add From and To and up to 4 licensed movers quote, free.
How it works: salary minus the 2026 state income tax for a single filer (standard deduction, personal exemption, brackets, credits), then scaled by the ratio of the two states' price parities. Federal tax and payroll tax are the same in every state, so they are left out. Local income taxes, such as New York City's, are not included. It is an estimate for comparing places, not tax advice.
Sources: Tax Foundation, 2026 State Income Tax Rates and Brackets (single filer, as of 1 Jan 2026); US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (all items and housing, 2024); Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage (median sale price, 2026-05); Haulest review file (reviewer-paid interstate medians, as of 3 Nov 2026).
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