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%
Compare different states
2026 · no wage PIT
2026 · no wage PITWashington vs Tennessee no income tax
Tennessee keeps the modeled household bill about $1,527 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
Tennessee is less taxed
About $1,527 less per year — roughly $127 a month on identical assumptions.
Side-by-side household scoreboard
Tennessee
$24,822
Combined bill · #3 of 9
- Paycheck tax
- $20,820
- Take-home
- $79,180
- Property tax
- $2,080
- Sales tax
- $1,922
- COL index
- 88.9
- Share of wages
- 24.8%
Line-by-line ladder
Every row uses the same household. The gap column is the annual difference between Washington and Tennessee.
| Line | Washington | Tennessee | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paycheck tax (federal + FICA + PFML) | $21,435 | $20,820 | $615 |
| Property tax ($400,000 home) | $3,000 | $2,080 | $920 |
| Sales tax ($20,000 basket) | $1,914 | $1,922 | $8 |
| Combined household bill | $26,349 | $24,822 | $1,527 |
| Take-home on $100,000 | $78,565 | $79,180 | $615 |
| COL index | 114.6 | 88.9 | 25.7 |
| Share of gross wages | 26.4% | 24.8% | 1.5 pts |
Paycheck tax (federal + FICA + PFML)
Washington$21,435
Tennessee$20,820
Gap $615
Property tax ($400,000 home)
Washington$3,000
Tennessee$2,080
Gap $920
Sales tax ($20,000 basket)
Washington$1,914
Tennessee$1,922
Gap $8
Combined household bill
Washington$26,349
Tennessee$24,822
Gap $1,527
Take-home on $100,000
Washington$78,565
Tennessee$79,180
Gap $615
COL index
Washington114.6
Tennessee88.9
Gap 25.7
Share of gross wages
Washington26.4%
Tennessee24.8%
Gap 1.5 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
- Washington
- $18,783
- Tennessee
- $17,410
Tennessee lower by $1,373
$100,000 wages
- Washington
- $26,349
- Tennessee
- $24,822
Tennessee lower by $1,527
$150,000 wages
- Washington
- $42,046
- Tennessee
- $40,211
Tennessee lower by $1,835
Paycheck
Neither state taxes wages. The paycheck gap is modeled employee PFML — $615 here.
Property
0.75% in Washington vs 0.52% in Tennessee on the same $400,000 home — $920 apart.
Sales
9.57% vs 9.61% combined on $20,000 of purchases — $8 apart.
Key takeaways — Washington vs Tennessee
- Neither Washington nor Tennessee levies a wage income tax in 2026.
- Tennessee is lower overall: $24,822 vs $26,349 — $1,527 a year ($127 a month).
- Paycheck tax: $21,435 in Washington vs $20,820 in Tennessee — $615 apart.
- Property: $3,000 (0.75%) vs $2,080 (0.52%) — $920 apart.
- Sales: $1,914 (9.57%) vs $1,922 (9.61%) — $8 apart.
- COL index: 114.6 in Washington vs 88.9 in Tennessee — 25.7 points apart.
- Among the nine no-wage-PIT states, household totals run from $24,018 (Wyoming) to $28,060 (Texas).
Washington vs Tennessee 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.
Tennessee models the lower total by $1,527 a year. Read the line items — the winner often wins on property or sales, not on the paycheck.
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. Tennessee does not tax wages. The Hall tax on investment income was repealed earlier.
How Washington and Tennessee split the bill
Washington: $21,435 paycheck, $3,000 property, $1,914 sales. Tennessee: $20,820 paycheck, $2,080 property, $1,922 sales.
Take-home is not identical: $78,565 in Washington vs $79,180 in Tennessee ($615 apart) because modeled employee PFML differs.
As a share of wages the combined bill is 26.4% in Washington vs 24.8% in Tennessee.
Tax total vs cost of living
Washington’s COL index is 114.6; 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.
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, Tennessee is lower by $1,373. At $150,000, Tennessee is lower by $1,835.
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 — Washington vs Tennessee
Washington must be cheaper because both skip income tax.
Tennessee is lower on this vignette by $1,527. 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 Washington vs Tennessee page helps
Useful if…
- •Choosing between Washington and Tennessee 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 Washington and Tennessee
Washington vs Tennessee checklist
Before treating the household total as a relocation decision.
- 1Confirm both Washington and Tennessee 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
Washington vs Tennessee 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.
Tennessee is lower by about $1,527 a year on this vignette ($26,349 vs $24,822).
Washington: property $3,000 (0.75%), sales $1,914 (9.57%). Tennessee: property $2,080 (0.52%), sales $1,922 (9.61%).
Washington is #7 and Tennessee is #3 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.