New York City
$70,848
$100k · rank #34 · 29.1%
- Federal
- $13,170
- State
- $4,860
- Local
- $3,441
- FICA
- $7,650
- SDI / PFML
- $31
- COL index
- 150
2026New York City vs San Antonio Take-Home
At $100,000 single (2026), San Antonio keeps about $79,180 vs $70,848 in New York City — a $8,332 annual take-home gap. State (and modeled local) income tax plus FICA/SDI drive the paycheck.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
Higher take-home
San Antonio keeps more
$79,180 vs $70,848, a $8,332 difference.
Side-by-side scoreboard
San Antonio
$79,180
$100k · rank #1 · 20.8%
- Federal
- $13,170
- State
- $0
- Local
- $0
- FICA
- $7,650
- SDI / PFML
- $0
- COL index
- 88
Key takeaways
- At $100,000 single (2026), San Antonio keeps about $79,180 vs $70,848 in New York City — a $8,332 annual take-home gap. State (and modeled local) income tax plus FICA/SDI drive the paycheck.
- New York City (NY) vs San Antonio (TX) — state (and local) income tax plus payroll create the gap.
- Federal ≈ $13,170 (NYC) vs $13,170 (San Antonio); state ≈ $4,860 vs $0.
- Local/city income tax ≈ $3,441 (NYC) vs $0 (San Antonio).
- Ranks: New York City #34 · San Antonio #1 among 34 metros on this hub.
- Personalize filing status and deductions in each state calculator.
How to read New York City vs San Antonio
Both columns use the same $100,000 single-filer vignette for 2026: federal + state income tax (+ NYC city tax when modeled) + employee FICA + state SDI/PFML when applicable.
The $8,332 gap is state (and modeled local) income tax plus payroll — not rent. San Antonio ranks #1; New York City ranks #34 on the national metro hub.
Compare federal, state, local, FICA, and SDI lines on the scoreboard — that is where NY vs TX shows up in dollars.
What drives US metro paycheck gaps
Employees are taxed by state of residence (and sometimes city) for wage income — federal brackets apply nationwide. NYC is the only metro on this hub with a separately modeled city PIT.
New York City models about $4,860 state tax + $3,441 local and $7,650 FICA. San Antonio models about $0 and $7,650 FICA.
Same-state pairs (e.g. San Francisco–Los Angeles) should match take-home; no-PIT corridors (Austin–Miami) also tie. Cross-state corridors (NYC–Austin, SF–Seattle) are where bracket and payroll differences appear.
Why the income ladder matters
At $50k the modeled gap between these metros is about $3,642; at $200k it is about $18,108. Bracket thresholds and FICA/SDI ceilings can reorder winners as salary rises.
Use the ladder before accepting an offer at a different gross — a metro that wins at $100k may not win at $150k or $200k.
Open /calculator/us/new-york or /calculator/us/texas to personalize filing status, dependents, and retirement deferrals.
Cost of living vs take-home
New York City COL index 150 · COL-adjusted proxy $47,232. San Antonio COL index 88 · proxy $89,977.
COL-adjusted take-home is a purchasing-power hint from relocation indexes — not IRS withholding and not a substitute for rent quotes or a budget.
A higher take-home metro can still feel tighter if housing dominates; pair this compare with the relocation salary calculator.
Limitations of this compare
Single filer, standard deduction, no 401(k), no dependents, no stock options, no remote multi-state income sourcing.
Only NYC city PIT is modeled as a separate local line; other city wage taxes are disclosed when known.
Engine last aligned for hub review 2026-08-11. Figures are educational vignettes — not advice.
Tax stack layers
Federal income tax
IRS brackets and standard deduction. Modeled: NYC $13,170 · San Antonio $13,170.
State income tax
State withholding for New York vs Texas. Modeled: NYC $4,860 (NY) · San Antonio $0 (TX).
Local / city income tax
NYC city income tax is modeled on this hub. Modeled local: NYC $3,441 · San Antonio $0. NYC city premium vs state-only is about $3,441/year at $100k.
FICA
Employee Social Security + Medicare (+ Additional Medicare when applicable). Modeled: NYC $7,650 · San Antonio $7,650.
SDI / PFML
State disability or paid family leave withholding when applicable. Modeled: NYC $31 · San Antonio $0.
COL index
New York City 150 · San Antonio 88 (100 = national average). COL-adjusted proxies: $47,232 vs $89,977.
Income ladder comparison
Same gross bands, single filer — gaps grow or shrink with state brackets and payroll caps.
| Gross | New York City | San Antonio | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $38,713 | $42,355 | $3,642 |
| $75,000 | $55,636 | $61,593 | $5,956 |
| $100,000 | $70,848 | $79,180 | $8,332 |
| $150,000 | $100,571 | $113,791 | $13,220 |
| $200,000 | $130,819 | $148,927 | $18,108 |
Decision guides
Cross-state offer
Model both state calculators at the offer gross. At $100k the gap is $8,332; the ladder shows whether it grows or shrinks.
Job offer negotiation
Ask for the work state (and city residency rules) on the contract. A NY vs TX posting can change take-home more than the skyline name.
High COL destination
If relocating to the higher-COL metro (NYC), stress-test rent against take-home — tax wins do not automatically fund housing.
What this compare excludes
- 401(k), IRA, HSA, and other pre-tax deferrals
- Dependents, credits, and itemized deductions beyond the standard single-filer stack
- RSUs, ISOs, ESPP, and other stock compensation
- Remote workers with multi-state income sourcing
- Unmodeled local wage taxes (Philadelphia Wage Tax, Detroit city PIT, Ohio municipal, Pittsburgh EIT/LST)
- Employer benefits, union dues, and commuting subsidies
Myths vs reality
“Every big city has a NYC-style city income tax.”
NYC does model city PIT on this hub; most metros here only use state + federal + FICA.
“The higher take-home city always feels richer.”
COL indexes (150 vs 88) can erase or reverse the cash advantage. Pair tax with rent before relocating.
“Texas and Florida take-home always matches Washington.”
Washington has no wage PIT, but employee PFML can trim take-home below the TX/FL/NV cluster — check the SDI/PFML line on the scoreboard.
“COL-adjusted take-home is my real paycheck.”
It is a purchasing-power proxy only. Tax returns care about taxable wages and credits — not our relocation COL index.
How to use this comparison
Step 1
Read the scoreboard
Compare take-home, effective levy, and the federal / state / local / FICA split for both metros.
Step 2
Scan the income ladder
Confirm whether the $100k winner still leads at $50k, $150k, and $200k.
Step 3
Check same-state vs cross-state
Attribute the gap to state (and modeled local) rules plus payroll, not rent alone.
Step 4
Personalize
Run custom gross and filing status in the New York and Texas calculators.
Compare another pair
Compare any two metros
Take-home on $100,000 single — state rules, FICA, and modeled local tax.
Related tools
New York City paycheck calculatorPersonalize New York take-homeSan Antonio paycheck calculatorPersonalize Texas take-home$100k take-home by stateSame vignette ranked across all 50 statesSalary comparison by stateTake-home ladders beyond $100kRelocation salary calculatorCity COL + equivalent salaryReal raise by state5% after tax + CPI by state
New York City vs San Antonio FAQs
San Antonio by about $8,332/year on this vignette.
New York City includes modeled NYC city income tax (~$3,441 at $100k; ~$3,441 less take-home than New York State alone). Other US cities on this hub either have no city wage tax or disclose unmodeled local levies.
COL indexes here are 150 (New York City) vs 88 (San Antonio). COL is not subtracted from take-home — use it as a purchasing-power hint alongside rent quotes.
Single filer, $100,000 gross, 2026 — federal + state income tax (+ NYC city tax when modeled) + employee FICA + state SDI/PFML when applicable. No 401(k), dependents, or stock.
Federal income tax on this vignette is about $13,170 in New York City vs $13,170 in San Antonio.
New York City (NY): state ~$4,860, local ~$3,441. San Antonio (TX): state ~$0.
Often yes. Check the income ladder table on this page ($50k–$200k). Bracket thresholds, FICA caps, and SDI ceilings can reorder winners as salary rises.
401(k)/IRA deferrals, dependents, stock compensation, remote multi-state sourcing, and unmodeled local wage taxes (Philly Wage Tax, Detroit city PIT, Ohio municipal, Pittsburgh EIT/LST). Not tax advice.
Glossary
- Take-home pay
- Gross wages minus modeled federal income tax, state/DC income tax, NYC city tax when applicable, employee FICA, and state SDI/PFML when applicable.
- City wage tax
- A local income or earnings tax on wages. Only NYC is modeled here; Philly, Detroit, Ohio cities, and Pittsburgh disclose unmodeled local taxes.
- MSA
- Metropolitan Statistical Area — Census population ranks (2023) select which metros appear on this hub.
- FICA
- Employee Social Security (6.2% to the 2026 wage base) and Medicare (1.45%) — IRS Topic 751; same in every city.
- SDI / PFML
- State Disability Insurance or Paid Family & Medical Leave employee withholdings (e.g. CA SDI, WA/MA PFML, capped NY SDI).
- COL index
- Cost-of-living index from our relocation city table (100 = national average). Used for context after the paycheck.
- Effective employee levy
- (Gross − take-home) ÷ gross — the share of salary withheld in this vignette.
- Unmodeled local tax
- A real city/municipal wage tax that exists but is not subtracted in our engine — flagged in the city’s caveat.