Alaska
$24,944
Combined bill · #4 of 9
- Paycheck tax
- $20,820
- Take-home
- $79,180
- Property tax
- $3,760
- Sales tax
- $364
- COL index
- 129
- Share of wages
- 24.9%
Compare different states
2026 · no wage PIT
2026 · no wage PITAlaska vs Washington no income tax
Alaska keeps the modeled household bill about $1,405 lower than Washington. Neither state taxes wages. One fixed household — single filer, $100,000 wages, $400,000 home, $20,000 of taxable spending — so property, sales, and modeled employee PFML decide the gap.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
Lower combined household bill
Alaska is less taxed
About $1,405 less per year — roughly $117 a month on identical assumptions.
Side-by-side household scoreboard
Washington
$26,349
Combined bill · #7 of 9
- Paycheck tax
- $21,435
- Take-home
- $78,565
- Property tax
- $3,000
- Sales tax
- $1,914
- COL index
- 114.6
- Share of wages
- 26.4%
Line-by-line ladder
Every row uses the same household. The gap column is the annual difference between Alaska and Washington.
| Line | Alaska | Washington | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paycheck tax (federal + FICA + PFML) | $20,820 | $21,435 | $615 |
| Property tax ($400,000 home) | $3,760 | $3,000 | $760 |
| Sales tax ($20,000 basket) | $364 | $1,914 | $1,550 |
| Combined household bill | $24,944 | $26,349 | $1,405 |
| Take-home on $100,000 | $79,180 | $78,565 | $615 |
| COL index | 129 | 114.6 | 14.4 |
| Share of gross wages | 24.9% | 26.4% | 1.4 pts |
Paycheck tax (federal + FICA + PFML)
Alaska$20,820
Washington$21,435
Gap $615
Property tax ($400,000 home)
Alaska$3,760
Washington$3,000
Gap $760
Sales tax ($20,000 basket)
Alaska$364
Washington$1,914
Gap $1,550
Combined household bill
Alaska$24,944
Washington$26,349
Gap $1,405
Take-home on $100,000
Alaska$79,180
Washington$78,565
Gap $615
COL index
Alaska129
Washington114.6
Gap 14.4
Share of gross wages
Alaska24.9%
Washington26.4%
Gap 1.4 pts
Same pair at every preset salary
Home value and taxable spending stay fixed, so the movement here comes from paycheck tax.
$75,000 wages
- Alaska
- $17,532
- Washington
- $18,783
Alaska lower by $1,251
$100,000 wages
- Alaska
- $24,944
- Washington
- $26,349
Alaska lower by $1,405
$150,000 wages
- Alaska
- $40,333
- Washington
- $42,046
Alaska lower by $1,713
Paycheck
Neither state taxes wages. The paycheck gap is modeled employee PFML — $615 here.
Property
0.94% in Alaska vs 0.75% in Washington on the same $400,000 home — $760 apart.
Sales
1.82% vs 9.57% combined on $20,000 of purchases — $1,550 apart.
Key takeaways — Alaska vs Washington
- Neither Alaska nor Washington levies a wage income tax in 2026.
- Alaska is lower overall: $24,944 vs $26,349 — $1,405 a year ($117 a month).
- Paycheck tax: $20,820 in Alaska vs $21,435 in Washington — $615 apart.
- Property: $3,760 (0.94%) vs $3,000 (0.75%) — $760 apart.
- Sales: $364 (1.82%) vs $1,914 (9.57%) — $1,550 apart.
- COL index: 129 in Alaska vs 114.6 in Washington — 14.4 points apart.
- Among the nine no-wage-PIT states, household totals run from $24,018 (Wyoming) to $28,060 (Texas).
Alaska vs Washington with no wage income tax (2026)
Both states are on the nine-state list. This page holds the household constant — $100,000 single-filer wages, a $400,000 home, $20,000 of taxable spending — then adds paycheck tax, property tax, and sales tax so neither state can look cheaper just by skipping wage PIT.
Alaska models the lower total by $1,405 a year. Read the line items — the winner often wins on property or sales, not on the paycheck.
Alaska has no statewide sales tax; the combined rate on this table is local-only. Washington does not tax wages. This vignette includes modeled employee Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). Washington also levies a separate capital gains excise on certain long-term gains — not a wage income tax.
How Alaska and Washington split the bill
Alaska: $20,820 paycheck, $3,760 property, $364 sales. Washington: $21,435 paycheck, $3,000 property, $1,914 sales.
Take-home is not identical: $79,180 in Alaska vs $78,565 in Washington ($615 apart) because modeled employee PFML differs.
As a share of wages the combined bill is 24.9% in Alaska vs 26.4% in Washington.
Tax total vs cost of living
Alaska’s COL index is 129; Washington’s is 114.6 (US average = 100). A lower household tax total can still sit in a more expensive grocery and rent basket.
Among the nine, Tennessee has the lowest COL index (88.9) and Alaska the highest (129).
Use the tax columns to compare levies and the COL column to compare prices. They answer different questions.
What this comparison leaves out
Local city wage taxes are not in play here (none of the nine models a separate city PIT on this vignette). Employer payroll taxes, credits beyond calculator defaults, and Washington’s capital gains excise on certain long-term gains are excluded from the wage household total.
Property uses a statewide effective rate on a fixed $400,000 home — not your county millage or purchase price. Sales tax uses a combined state + average local rate on a fixed $20,000 basket.
The nine-state range at $100,000 is $24,018 (Wyoming) to $28,060 (Texas).
The same pair at other salaries
Home value and spending stay fixed, so the ladder mostly moves with paycheck tax. At $75,000, Alaska is lower by $1,251. At $150,000, Alaska is lower by $1,713.
If you itemize, buy a different-priced home, or spend more on taxable goods, reorder the pair in the property and sales hubs rather than treating this ladder as a forecast.
Concepts to know for this comparison
Short definitions so the wage, property, sales, and COL lines add up the way you expect.
Wage PIT is already zero
The interesting gap is property, sales, and (for Washington) modeled employee PFML — not a state wage bracket.
Household total
Add paycheck tax, property on $400,000, and sales on $20,000. That is the ranking metric on the hub.
COL index
A separate price index. It does not change the tax dollars in the scoreboard.
Myths vs facts — Alaska vs Washington
Alaska must be cheaper because both skip income tax.
Alaska is lower on this vignette by $1,405. The other state still has no wage PIT.
Take-home is always identical across no-tax states.
Not here: $615 of paycheck difference from modeled employee PFML.
Who this Alaska vs Washington page helps
Useful if…
- •Choosing between Alaska and Washington after already deciding on a no-wage-PIT state
- •Remote workers comparing Texas vs Florida vs Nevada-style forks
- •Retirees who need property and sales, not a wage bracket
Use a fuller model if…
- •Anyone whose home price is far from the vignette value
- •People with large capital gains considering Washington
- •Moves that still involve a high-tax origin — use the all-50 compare ladder too
Common mistakes reading this pair
- Treating the lower COL state as automatically lower-tax
- Using the $400,000 home as your actual bill
- Ignoring Washington employee PFML when Washington is one side
- Forgetting federal tax still applies in Alaska and Washington
Alaska vs Washington checklist
Before treating the household total as a relocation decision.
- 1Confirm both Alaska and Washington are no-wage-PIT states
- 2Read paycheck, property, and sales — not only take-home
- 3Check COL indexes on the scoreboard
- 4Re-run property tax at your purchase price
- 5Open the reverse pair if you are moving the other direction
Alaska vs Washington no-income-tax FAQs
Neither does. Both are on the nine-state list. The comparison is property, sales, modeled payroll, and cost of living — not a wage PIT gap.
Alaska is lower by about $1,405 a year on this vignette ($24,944 vs $26,349).
Alaska: property $3,760 (0.94%), sales $364 (1.82%). Washington: property $3,000 (0.75%), sales $1,914 (9.57%).
Alaska is #4 and Washington is #7 of 9 on combined household tax (lowest bill = #1).
Yes — on US state tax compare and household tax by state. This hub’s pair form is the nine no-wage-PIT states only.
Compare another pair
Compare two of the nine
Combined wage, property, and sales tax on the $100,000 household vignette.
Related no-income-tax comparisons
Related tools
Estimates for one fixed household, 2026 rules. Statewide average property and sales rates — local wage taxes, city levies, Washington capital gains excise, credits, and itemized deductions are excluded. Not tax advice.