Plain Paycheck

Tax year 2026 · Federal & state tables · Computed in your browser

California vs. Arizona: where a paycheck goes further

more kept in Arizona at $75,000 · single filer, no 401(k) · 2026

Keep at $75K in California
$57,843
Keep at $75K in Arizona
$60,120
Difference / month
$189.76
Difference at $150K
$8,307

What explains the gap

Arizona keeps more of a $75,000 salary than California. Arizona taxes wages at a flat 2.5%. California runs 9 brackets from 1% up to 12.3%.

Employee-paid payroll programs add to the gap: California runs CA SDI, while Arizona runs no state payroll program.

This is a take-home-pay comparison only: cost of living, housing prices, property tax, and sales tax are out of scope and can easily outweigh the income-tax gap shown here.

Take-home pay, California vs. Arizona

California Arizona Extra kept in Arizona
$50,000 $40,665 $41,508 $842
$75,000 $57,843 $60,120 $2,277
$100,000 $72,825 $77,083 $4,257
$150,000 $102,136 $110,444 $8,307
$200,000 $131,972 $144,330 $12,357

Single filer, no 401(k), 2026 federal and state tables. Arizona keeps more at every salary shown here.

How each state's paycheck math differs

California Arizona
Effective all-in rate at $75,000 22.9% 19.8%
Top marginal state rate 12.3% 2.5%
State income-tax structure Progressive Flat
Employee-paid payroll programs CA SDI None

Quick answers

Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than California?
This page only compares take-home pay from wages; it does not account for housing, property tax, sales tax, or everyday cost of living, which can differ far more than the $2,277 income-tax gap shown here. At $75,000, Arizona take-home runs $2,277 a year higher than California's, but that says nothing about rent or home prices in either state.
How does California tax wages differently than Arizona in 2026?
California runs 9 brackets from 1% up to 12.3%. Arizona taxes wages at a flat 2.5%.
How much more do I keep in Arizona at $100,000?
About $4,257 more a year in Arizona than California at a $100,000 salary, single filer, no 401(k): $77,083 take-home in Arizona versus $72,825 in California, after federal tax, FICA, and state tax.
Is this the exact amount my employer will withhold?
No. It is a planning estimate on 2026 tables. Actual withholding follows your W-4 elections, benefit premiums, and any local taxes, so individual paychecks can differ even when the year's total lands close. Nothing you type here leaves your browser.

Sources