New Hampshire
$26,820
Combined bill · #8 of 9
- Paycheck tax
- $20,820
- Take-home
- $79,180
- Property tax
- $6,000
- Sales tax
- $0
- COL index
- 110.1
- Share of wages
- 26.8%
Tennessee keeps the modeled household bill about $1,998 lower than New Hampshire. Neither state taxes wages. One fixed household — single filer, $100,000 wages, $400,000 home, $20,000 of taxable spending — so property and sales decide the gap (paycheck tax is tied).
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
Lower combined household bill
About $1,998 less per year — roughly $167 a month on identical assumptions.
$26,820
Combined bill · #8 of 9
$24,822
Combined bill · #3 of 9
Every row uses the same household. The gap column is the annual difference between New Hampshire and Tennessee.
| Line | New Hampshire | Tennessee | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paycheck tax (federal + FICA + PFML) | $20,820 | $20,820 | $0 |
| Property tax ($400,000 home) | $6,000 | $2,080 | $3,920 |
| Sales tax ($20,000 basket) | $0 | $1,922 | $1,922 |
| Combined household bill | $26,820 | $24,822 | $1,998 |
| Take-home on $100,000 | $79,180 | $79,180 | $0 |
| COL index | 110.1 | 88.9 | 21.2 |
| Share of gross wages | 26.8% | 24.8% | 2.0 pts |
Paycheck tax (federal + FICA + PFML)
Gap $0
Property tax ($400,000 home)
Gap $3,920
Sales tax ($20,000 basket)
Gap $1,922
Combined household bill
Gap $1,998
Take-home on $100,000
Gap $0
COL index
Gap 21.2
Share of gross wages
Gap 2.0 pts
Home value and taxable spending stay fixed, so the movement here comes from paycheck tax.
$75,000 wages
Tennessee lower by $1,998
$100,000 wages
Tennessee lower by $1,998
$150,000 wages
Tennessee lower by $1,998
Neither state taxes wages. Paycheck tax is tied on this vignette (federal income tax and FICA only).
1.50% in New Hampshire vs 0.52% in Tennessee on the same $400,000 home — $3,920 apart.
0.00% vs 9.61% combined on $20,000 of purchases — $1,922 apart.
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.
Tennessee models the lower total by $1,998 a year. Read the line items — the winner often wins on property or sales, not on the paycheck.
New Hampshire does not tax wages and has no general sales tax. Its interest and dividends tax was fully repealed in 2025. Tennessee does not tax wages. The Hall tax on investment income was repealed earlier.
New Hampshire: $20,820 paycheck, $6,000 property, $0 sales. Tennessee: $20,820 paycheck, $2,080 property, $1,922 sales.
Take-home matches at $79,180 — federal income tax and FICA are the same, and neither state adds wage PIT.
As a share of wages the combined bill is 26.8% in New Hampshire vs 24.8% in Tennessee.
New Hampshire’s COL index is 110.1; Tennessee’s is 88.9 (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.
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).
Home value and spending stay fixed, so the ladder mostly moves with paycheck tax. At $75,000, Tennessee is lower by $1,998. At $150,000, Tennessee is lower by $1,998.
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.
Short definitions so the wage, property, sales, and COL lines add up the way you expect.
The interesting gap is property, sales, and (for Washington) modeled employee PFML — not a state wage bracket.
Add paycheck tax, property on $400,000, and sales on $20,000. That is the ranking metric on the hub.
A separate price index. It does not change the tax dollars in the scoreboard.
New Hampshire must be cheaper because both skip income tax.
Tennessee is lower on this vignette by $1,998. The other state still has no wage PIT.
Take-home is always identical across no-tax states.
It is identical on this pair ($79,180). Other nine-state pairs involving Washington are not.
Before treating the household total as a relocation decision.
Compare two of the nine
Combined wage, property, and sales tax on the $100,000 household vignette.
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.