Total burden
13.5%
Share of state income
All states
Tax Foundation 2026Low-to-high rank #46
Tax Foundation 2026Low-to-high rank #46California Total Tax Burden
13.5% of state income · $10,167 per capita · 2.3% above the US estimate.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
13.5%
Total burden
#46
National rank
$10,167
Per capita
$13,500
$100k illustration
California total tax burden snapshot
Residents of California bear an estimated 13.5% of state income in state and local taxes, equal to $10,167 per person. The estimate ranks #46 from lowest to highest.
National rank
#46
#1 is lowest
Per-capita burden
$10,167
State-local taxes borne
Compared with US
+2.3%
Versus 11.2%
Key finding — California tax burden
California's estimated state-local tax burden is 13.5% of state income ($10,167 per capita) in Tax Foundation Facts & Figures 2026 (burden year 2022), ranking #46 from lowest to highest (#1 = lowest burden) and 2.3% above the 11.2% US average. On a $100,000 income illustration that is about $13,500 — not a personal tax bill.
Key takeaways for California
- California ranks #46 at 13.5% of income — #1 is lowest (Alaska 4.6%), #50 is highest (New York 15.9%).
- California is 2.3% above the 11.2% US average; per capita is $10,167 vs $6,949 nationally.
- Illustrative scale at $100,000 income: about $13,500 using the statewide average rate — includes allocated business and other taxes, not just withholdings.
- Supporting benchmarks (not summed into burden): combined sales tax 9.03%; effective owner-occupied property tax 0.7%.
- California levies a state wage income tax; total burden still folds in property, sales, excise, business, and other state-local taxes by economic incidence.
- Nearby on the burden table: Vermont (13.6%) and New Jersey (13.2%).
Compare California with another state
Compare any two states
Average burden, per-capita cost, income illustrations, sales tax, and property tax.
California burden illustrations vs US average
Scale illustrations only — income × average burden rate. Not a personal tax calculation.
$75,000 income
California ≈ $10,125 · US avg ≈ $8,400 · diff +$1,725
$100,000 income
California ≈ $13,500 · US avg ≈ $11,200 · diff +$2,300
$150,000 income
California ≈ $20,250 · US avg ≈ $16,800 · diff +$3,450
Per-capita benchmark
$10,167 in California vs $6,949 US · sales 9.03% · property 0.7%
California tax burden illustrations by income
These examples apply the statewide average burden to income to show scale. They are not personal tax calculations; the burden measure includes indirect and business taxes as well as direct household taxes.
| Income | California illustration | US illustration | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $6,750 | $5,600 | +$1,150 |
| $75,000 | $10,125 | $8,400 | +$1,725 |
| $100,000 | $13,500 | $11,200 | +$2,300 |
| $150,000 | $20,250 | $16,800 | +$3,450 |
| $250,000 | $33,750 | $28,000 | +$5,750 |
$50,000 income
- California
- $6,750
- US
- $5,600
- Difference
- +$1,150
$75,000 income
- California
- $10,125
- US
- $8,400
- Difference
- +$1,725
$100,000 income
- California
- $13,500
- US
- $11,200
- Difference
- +$2,300
$150,000 income
- California
- $20,250
- US
- $16,800
- Difference
- +$3,450
Understanding California's tax mix
Total burden is not calculated by adding these rates. The cards provide current, separate benchmarks that help explain how households encounter different parts of the tax system.
Total state-local burden
13.5%
Economic incidence across all major tax categories
Combined sales tax
9.03%
State + population-weighted average local rate →
Effective property tax
0.7%
Owner-occupied housing benchmark →
How to read California's burden
What California's 13.5% burden means
Tax Foundation estimates the state and local taxes economically borne by California residents — including taxes paid to other states when incidence lands at home — then divides by aggregate California income.
The result is an economy-wide average for calendar year 2022, published in Facts & Figures 2026. It is not your Form W-2 effective rate and not Census collections where governments receive the payment.
On the low-to-high rank, #1 is Alaska (4.6%) and #50 is New York (15.9%).
California vs the US average
California is 2.3% above the 11.2% US average. Per capita: $10,167 here vs $6,949 nationally.
A $100,000 income illustration is about $13,500 in California vs $11,200 at the US average — scale only.
Per-capita burden reflects both tax policy and how high state incomes are; a high dollar figure can accompany a mid-pack percentage when incomes are high.
How California's tax mix shows up
California residents typically see state (and sometimes local) income tax on wages, plus sales and property taxes. The burden rate blends those with business and other taxes allocated by incidence.
Current separate benchmarks on this site: combined sales tax 9.03% and effective property tax 0.7%. Do not add those percentages to 13.5%.
For an additive sample household (wage + property + sales dollars), use the household-tax-by-state vignette — a different metric from Tax Foundation burden.
How to use the California profile
Quote the burden share and per-capita figure when comparing state tax systems in articles or relocation screens.
Model your filing status and salary with the paycheck comparison, then check local sales and parcel-level property tax before treating any average as a personal bill.
Pair this page with a head-to-head compare URL when you need a clear gap between two states at the same income illustration.
Who this California profile helps
Useful if…
- •Movers and households checking California's state-local burden share, rank, or per-capita figure with a clear vintage.
- •Relocation planners screening California before modeling a specific paycheck and home.
- •Readers comparing California's full tax mix to “no income tax” or high-PIT narratives.
- •Anyone linking this profile to sales-tax, property-tax, or household vignette tools.
Use another tool if…
- •You need a binding estimate for one California address, school district, or city wage tax.
- •You want only federal + state income tax withholdings — use the paycheck calculator.
- •You need an additive sample household bill (wage + property + sales) — use household tax by state.
- •You are ranking statutory sales or property rates alone — use those dedicated hubs.
Related: Household tax by state · California sales tax · California property tax
How California's total tax burden compares nationally
Share of income
California's 13.5% burden is 2.3% above the 11.2% US estimate.
Per-capita dollars
The per-capita estimate is $10,167, which is $3,218 above the national $6,949 figure. Per-capita dollars reflect both tax policy and differences in state income.
Calculation details
How California's 13.5% burden is determined
Tax Foundation estimates the state and local taxes economically borne by California residents, then compares that amount with aggregate state income. This differs from simply adding tax rates or dividing taxes collected inside California by population.
California burden formula
State-local taxes borne by California residents
Aggregate California income
× 100 = 13.5%
1. Government collections
Census state and local collections provide the starting totals for detailed tax categories.
2. Economic allocation
Taxes are reassigned to the residents estimated to bear them, including California residents paying taxes elsewhere.
3. Income denominator
Official economic and income data are used to estimate the aggregate income available to state residents.
4. Per-capita result
Dividing taxes borne by population produces the separate $10,167 per-person estimate.
Taxes included
State and local income, property, general and selective sales, excise, business, license, estate, transfer, severance, and miscellaneous taxes.
Not included in the rate
Federal taxes, the value of government services, and a personalized calculation based on one household's income, spending, property, deductions, or credits.
Who bears state and local taxes?
Direct household taxes
Residents directly pay income tax, sales tax, property tax, vehicle charges, and other taxes depending on their income, purchases, housing, and location.
Taxes shifted through the economy
Businesses may legally remit a tax while workers, consumers, owners, or residents of another state bear part of the economic cost through wages, prices, and investment returns.
Household differences
How California taxes can affect different households
The 13.5% average combines taxpayers with very different finances. These profiles show which tax categories are most useful to investigate next.
Working households
Compare state and local income tax at your salary, payroll deductions, taxable spending, and available credits.
Renters
Focus on income and sales taxes while recognizing that landlords can pass part of property-tax costs into rent.
Homeowners
Add the address-specific bill to California's 0.7% statewide property benchmark.
Retirees
Review Social Security, pension and retirement withdrawals, property relief, estate rules, and taxable purchases.
Tax questions to ask before moving to California
What would California income tax be at my salary, filing status, and household size?
Does the city or county impose an additional wage or income tax?
How much of my spending would face California's 9.03% combined sales tax benchmark?
If buying, what will the parcel be assessed at after the sale and which exemptions remain?
How do vehicle fees, fuel taxes, insurance premiums, utilities, and healthcare compare?
Does the difference in wages, housing, and public services outweigh the tax difference?
Why California's tax burden can change over time
The 2022 burden is a historical benchmark, not a permanent rate. Later estimates can move even without one major tax-law change.
Tax policy
Changes to rates, deductions, exemptions, credits, tax bases, and local levies.
Income and economy
Wage growth, investment income, business activity, employment, and population shifts.
Housing and spending
Property values, reassessments, consumer purchases, and the mix of taxable goods and services.
Cross-state incidence
Taxes exported to visitors or businesses—and taxes residents bear in other states—can change.
Why this is not a personal tax rate
The burden is a statewide average across the entire economy. A renter, homeowner, retiree, business owner, and high-income employee can face very different direct taxes. Use it to compare state tax systems—not to predict a tax return or exact annual bill.
California total tax burden FAQs
California's estimated state-local tax burden is 13.5% of state income, or $10,167 per capita (Tax Foundation Facts & Figures 2026, burden year 2022).
Tax Foundation estimates all state and local taxes economically borne by California residents, including qualifying taxes paid to other states, then divides that total by California's aggregate income. The 13.5% result is an economy-wide average.
California ranks #46, where #1 is the lowest burden and #50 is the highest.
California's 13.5% burden is 2.3% above the 11.2% national estimate.
Applying the statewide average burden rate gives an illustrative $13,500. This is not a personal tax calculation and can differ substantially by household.
The estimate includes state and local individual income, property, sales, excise, business, license, estate, and other taxes allocated through the Tax Foundation's economic-incidence methodology.
No. Federal income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes are excluded from this state-local comparison.
No. California's 9.03% combined sales tax benchmark is one tax-rate measure. Total burden combines the economic effect of many state and local taxes.
Yes. Property taxes are included. California's separate effective owner-occupied property tax benchmark is 0.7%.
California levies a state personal income tax on wages (local income taxes may also apply in some cities). Income tax is only one part of the 13.5% total burden.
Household income, filing status, credits, purchases, home value, local jurisdiction, business ownership, and taxes embedded in prices all change individual exposure.
No. That mixes an economic-incidence average with an additive sample bill. Quote one metric, or show both in separate columns.
Use the state-pair selector on this page, or open a compare URL such as California vs Vermont. You will see average burden, per-capita burden, sales tax, property tax, and illustrative income amounts side by side.
Use California's burden as one comparison point, not the sole reason to move. Compare expected take-home pay, housing, insurance, healthcare, transportation, public services, and employment opportunities.
Renters usually do not pay property tax directly, but property taxes can affect rent. Renters also bear sales, income, excise, business, and other taxes through direct payments, prices, and wages.
Not automatically. Tax burden measures taxes borne, not the quality or quantity of services received. Review schools, infrastructure, healthcare, safety, and other services separately.
Yes. State and local tax changes, economic conditions, income growth, property values, consumption, and taxes shifted across state lines can change later estimates.
Compare California with similar-burden states
Burden year 2022. Average economic-incidence estimate only; not financial, legal, or tax advice.